The Silent Mind
by Amelia Jordan
Summary: Bella moves to Forks in order to escape a newborn mother and the vampires who want her dead. Only to find seven of the very people she's trying to hide from. Will she be able to keep her knowledge and abilities a secret. What happens when they find out?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I closed my eyes, weirdly thankful to be deaf. It was an odd feeling: to be happy about the car accident that rendered me deaf at only seven years old. Being deaf made it so easy to be alone, no outside interference. All I had to do was close my eyes.

It wasn't often I felt like this, then again getting treated like this wasn't exactly a common occurrence either.

I'd always been treated as less than other people because of my disability. But very few had gone so far as to slowly enunciate every word, and act them out as they spoke. Those few were the ones that always made me feel as if I really was less than other people, like I didn't measure up. I didn't like that sensation, nor could I claim warm, fuzzy feelings for the people that caused it.

The best strategy to deal with such people was to leave, or avoid them as best I could. Being trapped here seriously impaired my ability to do that.

I hadn't wanted to take this small, twin engine plane, to Port Angeles. But it was all that was available at the time, and I'd wanted to get there quickly.

Now, I vehemently wished to be on any other plane, even one of those tiny, single engine planes that only held two very skinny people.

Not that it even mattered anymore. The decision had already been made and there wasn't any way to change it now. No, my only option was to wait. Hopefully, this... thing would land in Port Angeles soon. There I could wait in a tiny, over domesticated airport lobby for Charlie to make an appearance and take me to my new home—Forks, Washington.

Charlie was my biological father, and had lived in Forks since he was born. He didn't really have the mentality to live anywhere else; small town life suited his personality to a tee.

My mom, Renee, was also born in Forks, and lived there until she was roughly nineteen years old. She left town amid gossip and turmoil, because her ill-advised marriage to the star high school jock turned out to be a mistake. My mom wasn't known for her adult approach to life, but even she should have seen _that_ for the disaster it turned out to be.

I guess, in a way, I had to respect them for at least trying. It couldn't have been easy to become parents before they graduated high school, but they had given it their best shot. Charlie proposed the day he learned she was pregnant with me. Renee, in all her misguided, teenage wonder, thought her dreams were coming true. At least until reality decided to make its presence known.

When I was only four months old, Renee left Charlie and escaped, with me, to Phoenix Arizona. That's where we lived until now.

I would still be there if it wasn't for Phil. Not that I resented him or anything, it was just that my life would have been very different if he hadn't fallen in love with my mom.

Or maybe not so different, perhaps I would have chosen to come back here on my own. I'd thought about it sometimes. Always wondered what it would be like to live a halfway normal life.

Well, as normal as I'd ever be. For reasons unknown to me, I'd never had the option of being normal. Even if one considered the possibility that I might have had a mature, responsible mom who raised me, rather than the other way around. I pushed that thought away, feeling disloyal to Renee. Never once had I truly regretted my life, Renee and my own abnormalities included. I liked the person I was.

A few years ago mom met a very strange man named Phil. Little did she or I know how much he would change our lives. Phil was a vampire and now, he's Renee's new husband. Or mate, whatever vampires call their significant others.

Thanks to the Psychotic Trio that pretty much destroyed life as I knew it. Mom is also a newly inducted member of the blood-sucking species. Which was comforting, in a severely weird way.

I mean she's indestructible; it's not like I have to worry about her well being anymore. In fact, I hadn't for quite awhile now. Phil was so completely devoted to her, it was impossible to believe he wouldn't see to her every need.

My mom, as a human, was so childlike that she couldn't do the simplest things for herself. If I hadn't been there to buy groceries, pay the bills, make sure her car had gas, and give her directions when she called lost, it wouldn't have gotten done. When Phil came into the picture he did all those things for her, spending every second he could, either with her or caring for her.

At first, it was just at night, but, in a city where the average temperature during the day is a hundred and four, that was not unusual. People tended to live their lives at night, in order to avoid a massive heat stroke. That was the price you payed for living in an Easy-Bake-Oven.

After we-and by 'we' I mean me-discovered what Phil was, things got interesting. I hadn't liked the idea at all, but I had liked Phil. So I decided to give him a chance.

I had a lot of preconceptions about vampires. In my head, I saw episodes of Buffy or Angel: vampires bursting into flames the second sunlight hit them, garlic, wooden stakes, holy water, the whole nine yards.

After a long talk with Phil, I realized I'd been so wrong about vampires. The violent, Hollywood idealized, horror movie, bedpost notching, Gods gift to women, image was totally wrong. The reality was so much worse.

Phil was honest, excruciatingly honest, with me during that conversation. Vampires weren't anything like I'd imagined. Their thirst for blood wasn't simply a desire or a necessity, it was an all consuming fire that burned away anything even remotely human within them. When a vampire smelled human blood, there was no thought, no personality, no compassion... no humanity. They killed violently, without control or remorse, tearing and ripping into their victims to get at what they needed.

Their strength was impossible to imagine. Their speed was impossible to escape. Their hearing and sense of smell made it impossible to hide. They were the ultimate predators.

It didn't matter that Renee loved him. Or that he loved her, one moment, a millisecond where he lost control, and he would cease to be the man she loved, and who loved her in return. He would turn into the very monster he described and kill her. He wouldn't have a choice.

I never worried that he would hurt me, I never even wondered if my abilities would be able to protect me. I yelled and screamed, ordering him to leave, to never contact my mother again. She was so childlike, I couldn't bear to think of her being hurt. Normally, I left her alone and let her make her own choices, steering her away from the more dangerous, but this was different. Normally she would have at least a chance of surviving, here there wasn't any hope of that.

Renee, of course, protested. She didn't care what he was, she loved 'who' he was, and accepted him.

That was the first time I forced my mother to put me above herself. What if he hurt me, he wouldn't mean to, but he could. I forced her to do what she thought was best for me, and she did. He left, amid her tears and apologies, swearing he'd never bother her, or me, again. Renee said her goodbye's, telling him that she loved him, more than anything, but she couldn't choose him over her daughters welfare.

I'd thought this would be another one of her quirky fazes. That she'd get over him like every other man she'd imagined herself in love with. Every time she broke up with someone she'd get over it pretty quickly, a few tears and then she'd move on to her next guy or her next hobby.

It didn't work like that, not with Phil.

At first she just cried, horrible, broken sobs that seemed like they would break her. She cried for days, it was then I suspected she may have loved Phil more than I'd thought.

The crying eventually stopped. She started doing things again, started sleeping, and going to work. I thought she was getting over him, I was wrong. She did normal things, but she wasn't normal herself. She pretended, pretended she was okay, pretended she was living, she wasn't. Every day her eyes dimmed a little more. She was becoming a zombie before my eyes, screaming inside. It took me far to long to realize that.

The nightmares were the worst. Like me, Renee talked in her sleep, usually it wasn't anything bad, not until I made Phil leave. When she slept she screamed, miserable, soulful shrieks that tore at my soul. She begged him to come back.

The day I came home to find her lying on the couch staring into space was the day I knew I'd royally screwed up. She looked as if she were dead, she was alive and breathing, but there was no life in her. She didn't hear me calling her name, begging her to get up. She stayed like that for three days, until Phil came back.

Watching her lying there, in a coma, I knew if something didn't happen she was going to die. The doctors came, they wanted to admit her to the hospital. Wanted to feed her with a machine, they talked about her like she was already gone. Which, in a way, she was. That thing lying on the couch was merely a vessel that housed my mother, Renee was trapped inside it somewhere, fading away.

I wasn't sure how to find Phil, but I knew I had to. I agonized over how I was going to do it. How did one find a 200 year old vampire, who wasn't supposed to exist and didn't want to be found?

In the end all it took was a simple phone call. He was there a day later.

He came home and Renee woke up. Even though she'd lost twenty pounds, and had seemed broken beyond repair, all it took was Phil to make her eyes shine again.

I wasn't surprised to see that Phil hadn't fared too well without her. He'd shown up wearing the same clothes he had on when he left, and he had the same look Renee had. Later, I'd monitored their conversation as he told Renee that he'd thought of himself as dead since he was changed, but that he hadn't truly died until the day he left her. It was nauseatingly romantic. Renee, of course, loved it.

I just shook my head and thought that if anyone on the planet was going to fall in love with a vampire it would by my crazy, unpredictable mother. That was the day Phil moved it with us. I didn't liked the idea of my mom's boyfriend moving in. Not because he was a vampire, I'd lost the ability to judge either one of them about that. I didn't like it because it was seriously gross. I loved her, and he was who she wanted, so I kept my mouth shut and let it go.

Renee, and Phil, seemed to recover almost instantly. Mom's weight went up, she started sleeping normally, -as long as Phil was with her- it was nearly miraculous. As long as she was with Phil she was herself again. It was like they literally needed each other to survive. Phil had said it was that way between mates, but until I saw the transformation his return caused, I hadn't truly believed it.

Everything went back to normal from there. Well, as normal as they can be with an immortal, vegetarian vampire, and a strangely talented teenager living under the same roof.

Our new version of lasted little more than a year. Three other vampires soon discovered Phil's relationship with Renee, and then things really got ugly.

In the beginning they simply wanted to kill Renee, Phil, and myself, in order to stop the Volturi from making an appearance.

The Volturi were the closest thing vampires had to a government. They made sure that vampires follow the one and only rule: Don't do anything that could expose us to the humans. The Volturi were incredibly powerful, and the only thing James's coven feared.

James was the leader of the coven that attacked us. He was also the vampire version of a big game hunter; in the vampire world he was called a tracker. Trackers had the ability to sense their prey through some unexplainable mental or emotional method.

In addition to being a skilled tracker, he was also a deranged psychopath who lived to hunt, and kill rare or difficult prey. When he discovered me, a human gifted with telekinesis powerful enough to fend him off, a unique kill unlike any other, he became obsessed with making me his next trophy.

The last time he attempted to do away with us, mom got hurt. I used my telekinesis as a weapon, and tried to defend Renee, I succeeded, until I lost sight of Laurent; the third member of James's coven. He attacked Renee before I could prevent it.

That was when I learned how strong my telekinesis really was; instead of trying to control it like I'd been forced to do my entire life, I let it go and allowed it to act on its own. I was directing it, but it was a force too powerful to be contained. Even by my rigorous control.

I hadn't ever experienced anything like that before, or since. In mere seconds it reduced Laurent to gooey, little, vampire pieces.

That was enough to cause James, and his bitch bride, to turn tail and run.

Unfortunately, I hadn't saved mom, she was wounded. It was so bad that I begged Phil to change her. He agreed, and the three worst days of my life followed.

Three days she spent screaming, begging to die. I'd never seen my mom like that before, in that much pain. It was worse than her zombie period. As much as I'd wanted to be there for her, there wasn't anything I could do. She couldn't hear me, and I couldn't ease her pain. The only thing I could do was watch her burn, and wait for it to end.

When she finally came out of it, she was different. The same person, just different somehow; and I didn't mean her new look or her new appetite.

Now, my mom and I weren't allowed to be near each other. New borns, as they were called, are notoriously famous for being volatile and savage; killing anything with a heartbeat. At least until they learned to control themselves, which wasn't even possible until after the first year, at least, sometimes taking up to ten years.

Being the typical newborn, Renee hadn't been able to control her thirst, and I couldn't be expected to defend myself every second of every day. So was sent to live with Charlie with the additional hope that James wouldn't be able to track me. According to Phil, I 'might' be a mental shield, and 'if' I was James's tracking ability 'shouldn't' work on me. The words 'might', 'if' and 'shouldn't' weren't big confidence builders, but they were better than nothing.

Phil was gifted, he could sense when a vampire was gifted, or if a human would be gifted when turned. Sometimes he could even tell how they were gifted. Apparently, he sensed something with me, but thought he could just be sensing my abilities. In his 200 years of un-life, he hadn't ever encountered a human like me.

I didn't mind going to live with Charlie, I actually wanted to. I just didn't want to leave mom to face all that alone. It went against my instincts, instincts it had taken years of care and supervision to develop. I knew this was the right choice, but it was still odd to walk away, and leave my mother in someone else's care.

I pushed that thought away, and focused on what I could do to protect Charlie, he needed me a lot more than Renee. Phil didn't think James would bother to search for me electronically. I wasn't so sure.

James knew who I was, it wouldn't be too hard for him to find out who my father was. If he looked for me in Forks, and I wasn't there, he would kill Charlie. I had no doubts about that.

I was hoping that if James came, and found me here, he would come straight for me, and bypass my father.

That's how I came to be sitting on a plane, desperately trying not to get irritated at a rather obnoxious flight attendant. It wasn't easy, I just wanted to be left alone. I needed time to think.

She stood a few feet ahead of me, waving both arms, while she emulated buckling a seat belt then pointing at me. I sighed and pressed my lips together, resisting the urge to call her the idiot she was so artfully portraying, and dutifully buckled my seat belt.

Really, I should be gaping in awe, this was a rare occurrence; few people could make stupid funny. I'd heard of them, but hadn't ever thought I'd ever seen one in person. I had always assumed they were like the abominable snowman: Widely considered to be either a hoax or simply a myth, and blurry, pixelated home videos were the only thing keeping speculation alive.

Then again, I'd seen a few things lately that were also considered to be mythical, so maybe the abominable snowman did exist? _I'll_ _have to ask Phil,_ I thought smirking.

I expected the flight attendant to leave when I buckled, but she wasn't done. She stuck her finger in my face and mouthed 'plane' very slowly.

I rolled my eyes covertly, and said "plane" as calmly as I could. She nodded vigorously, so I'd guessed right. Not that I'd actually had to guess, a three year old could outwit this mental Olympian.

She held her hand out and arrowed her finger towards it, slowly lowering it until it lay flat on her palm. If this girl had any sense at all, her finger was a plane and her palm was the land. She was trying to tell me that the plane was landing.

I slowly inhaled, thinking that I might as well help her out. Everyone in sight was staring at her like she'd lost her mind. If she'd even possessed one to begin with.

"The plane is landing?" I asked.

She nodded frantically, then turned and left. I grabbed my jacket from the seat beside, and crammed it into my face, before screaming softly in frustration. Normally, I wouldn't bother to hide it, but I didn't want to insult her. She was trying to be helpful, she just wasn't succeeding.

I should have been offended, but it wasn't her fault she was stupid. It was always irritating when people acted as she did, though they never mean it that way. The first thing that occurred to them was that I wouldn't know what they're talking about, so they went to extremes to make themselves understood. Explaining that I could read lips and had a cool, little device that translated spoken word into text for me was too much effort for someone I was only going to see once. So I just kept my mouth shut and tried to ignore them.

I sighed in earnest this time, as I closed my eyes and pressed myself back into my seat to contemplate what awaited me in Forks.

School would suck and I wouldn't fit in, although that was nothing new. I'd never fit in anywhere, a fact that hadn't ever bothered me. Until now, that is. If I was a stupid sheep like everyone else, it would help me to blend in, and become invisible that much sooner.

In a town as small as Forks anything new was bound to be of interest to everyone. The much absent daughter of the towns' beloved police chief moving home would be even more interesting. I would be a curiosity, a freak. Everyone would be curious, and everyone would gossip.

_But that's okay_, I told myself desperately. _It won't last forever. In a few weeks everyone will get used to me, I'll become commonplace. I can fade into the background and ignore everyone like I did at my old school. It will just take a little time._

Friends weren't a luxury I could afford, my ability made that difficult. What if they discovered what I could do?

Not that I'd ever met anyone I truly wanted to be friends with, I hadn't. I'd never disliked the restraints my gift put on me, I didn't like the spot light, and was perfectly content to fade into the background, never to be noticed. It was were I was most comfortable.

Of course that's where Charlie came in. He'd pay me a lot of attention. Not directly, that wasn't his style. Instead he'd watch me, analyze my behavior and worry if I was happy.

It would be odd living with a virtual stranger. Even though I'd spent a month in Forks with him every year—except for last year when he vacationed in California with me instead—I didn't know much about him. What did he like to do for fun, besides watch sports and fish? Did he like to read?

_Somehow, I think not._

It didn't seem like we had much in common.

On the plus side, Charlie was much more laid back than Renee. He wouldn't feel the need to hover or smother me with motherly concern. He would leave for work before I woke up, and I would get home hours before he did so, in a way, it would be like living alone. I was looking forward to that.

Jake would be closer so we could spend more time together. I'd always missed him terribly. Jake was the brother I always wanted, but never got.

Jake's father, and Charlie's best friend, Billy, was a Quileute elder who lived on the Quileute reservation just few miles outside Forks. Since Dad and Billy spent most of their free time together, so did Jake and I. We grew up together, and considered each other to be siblings.

I would also be able to drive my car a lot more. I smiled when I thought of my car, it was already there—a silver 1968 Mustang Fastback Eleanor. It was fantastic, it was my dream car. Phil bought it for me after I pitched a fit over one I'd seen in some movie. I'd accused him of trying to buy me, he'd simply laughed, and said that he just enjoyed spoiling his girls, which made me feel warm and fuzzy in a way I would never admit to. I was way too emotionally reserved to say 'I love you, too' so I'd just hugged him, and played with my car.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I felt my seat jolt beneath me. Though I didn't bother opening my eyes, I knew without having to look that the plane had landed. The passengers had all begun to move as one large mass. I could feel them standing, twisting and flowing, all in the same direction, with the same goal in mind.

I didn't move; instead waited for everyone else to leave first. I loved my telekinesis, but it was extremely irritating because I could not only control movement; stop any movement I want, and move things, I could also feel movement.

Normally it felt like a soft breeze brushing against my mind. It was nice, but very confusing because I felt everything, heartbeats, the motion of someone's lungs when they breathe, the movement of their arms and legs when they walk, their lips when they talk. Although confusing, it was usually very soft and understated. I had taught myself years ago to block it out, to ignore it.

I could usually ignore the breeze, the crowd was another story. It was like my telekinetic mind operated separate from the rest of my mind. Like it knew when I was feeling upset, nervous, or vulnerable and tried to protect me. I've had a few experiences where someone threw something in my direction, and my telekinetic mind reacted before my conscious mind even realized it was happening. It hadn't ever done anything that would expose me, the object would change direction or simply fall out of the air.

No one had ever attributed this to me, or anyone else for that matter. They merely thought it was weird, thank you God. Renee and Phil were the only people who knew about my gift. And I didn't tell them, Mom saw the evidence for herself as my ability developed, and Phil... Well, I showed Phil.

Actually, I'd thrown him through a wall, but a demonstration could still be called 'showing,' right?

I'd considered telling Charlie, but he wouldn't understand. He was happy with his life, his daughter, and his view of the world just like it was.

Jake on the other hand, would probably get a big kick out of it. But he was a kid, younger than me, and mentally he was younger than I imagine most five year old's to be. He might not react like I expected, what if he was freaked out buy it. I wasn't willing to risk it.

Other than that, the only problem with telling Jake would be explaining it. I didn't think he would fully comprehend how powerful it was, not to mention the accuracy. He would have trouble believing that I could distinguish between tiny, almost imperceptible differences in movement. It was accurate enough to identify people before I ever saw them simply because of the way they move.

Speaking of which, here came the in-flight entertainment. _Why me?_ I thought. _Wouldn't it have been kinder if, just this once, no one tried to help me?_

Forgetting myself, and the fact that I had to constantly play the part of the weak deaf girl; I opened my eyes, looking directly at her. Her eyes widened fractionally, she obviously wasn't expecting me to know she was coming. I did give her credit, she recovered quickly, and came straight for me.

Sadly, she hadn't learned anything since her last performance. She stopped a few feet away and started waving her arms. She looked like one of those men who stand on the runway, with those glowing sticks, and direct the plane to land. Although, I was almost positive that was exactly what she was trying to recreate, it still looked ridiculous.

Sighing, I stood and grabbed my jacket from the empty seat beside me, and my carry on from the over head compartment. The second I turned around, my foot caught on the seat in front me.

I allowed my shield to protect me as I fell. Grateful for the security it proved when my forehead slammed against the armrest on the seat across the aisle. I didn't feel the blow, but I knew it wouldn't have been pretty if I had suffered it without my shield. I hit it too hard, and at the wrong angle.

I couldn't stop the blush that heated my face as I picked myself up and quickly straightened my clothes.

Once I looked presentable, I turned around to leave.

Standing there staring at me with wide, shocked eyes was the same flight attendant that had somehow managed to piss me off and make me want to laugh.

Studying her expression, I briefly flashed to a documentary the school had shown, during my sophomore year, about the hazards of reckless driving. I remember that it had featured a deer and a car, and that it hadn't ended very well. She had the same look the soon-to-be-dead-deer had just before he got turned into soon-to-be-sausage.

Seeing me move seemed to reassure her somewhat, "Oh my God. Are you okay?"

_How to explain that I'm perfectly fine when I should be laying in the floor bleeding?_

I rolled my eyes, trying to make light of the incident. "I'm fine, just a klutz. That isn't even the first time I fell today."

She didn't say anything, just glanced towards the seat I'd hit. Following her gaze, I saw that the armrest was plastic and severely cracked.

_Oh, Crap, _I thought, as I turned back to the flight attendant. _Maybe she didn't notice. _

I knew she had when I stared into her eyes. The wonder reflected in her gaze told me everything I wanted to know.

Yes, she knew, and yes, she was curious.

Hoping to escape before I could be questioned, I started walking towards the exit.

I'd spent a lot of time thinking of what would happen if someone was to discover my gift. The curiosity, the amazement, the desire, the thirst for power, the scientific implications, all these were things I'd considered.

_It doesn't matter. If there is a risk of exposure follow the plan, cover your tracks and get away. Seems simple enough._

The name listed on the plane ticket was an alias originally intended to offer some protection against James tracking me electronically, now it would serve a dual purpose. Just in case she did say something about what she'd seen, which is unlikely, my flight information wouldn't lead back to me. Even if she found anyone willing to believe such an outlandish story.

Now, to get away. I tried to remember what had been said at the beginning of the flight. I couldn't recall anything about an emergency door in the back, so if I wanted out I had to get closer to her.

I ducked my head and let my hair fall around my face, hoping to obscure the fact that I didn't have a large bruise on my head. It wouldn't do any good to hide what I looked like; she'd seen enough of me throughout the flight, to recognize me.

"I'm really fine, a small headache, but it's nothing to worry about." I murmured. I didn't think her mind would automatically jump to the unexplainable. She was probably just worried that I'd suddenly dropping dead from a brain hemorrhage.

I glanced up as I neared her, and saw her lips moving.

"Are you sure? The airlines employ Emergency Medical Response personnel at every terminal. It would be a simple matter to have them examine you. You did hit your head pretty hard."

"Yes Ma'am, I'm sure." I picked up the pace and practically ran towards the exit.

When I reached the door, I looked back over my shoulder at the flight attendant trying to gauge her expression. Worry, and confusion seemed to be the dominant emotions. "This is my cue. Thanks for all your help," I said smiling my most blinding smile.

I didn't wait for a response. I didn't want her to relax enough to start questioning me, so I jumped the two feet to the ground, bypassing the little foldout stairs, and walking quickly into the nearest building.

_Well, this is wonderful. Not that I could have changed anything. Without using my telekinesis to knock her down or something, my only options were to fall with or without the shield. The latter, wouldn't have ended well. _

Once I got inside the terminal I saw Charlie, Billy, and Jacob waiting for me, and all thoughts of the flight attendant evaporated.

I shifted my duffel bag to the other shoulder and waved to get their attention. Jake was the first to see me, he used the back of his hand to swat Charlie on the shoulder. I watched his lips as he said, "There she is."

Reading lips was very cool. I didn't have to be within hearing range to tell what they were saying.

Jake was the first one to reach me. Probably because the second he finished that one sentence, he took off, sprinting the length of the terminal. The others chose to walk, like normal, sane human beings.

He skidded to a halt in front of me. I half expected him to fall over, he stopped so fast. He smiled and immediately started signing. The speed he used was impressive. He was almost as fast as I was, that was rare for someone who wasn't deaf or didn't live closely with a non-hearing person. "Hi ya, little sis."

I couldn't help smiling in return as I studied him, he'd really grown, at least a few feet since I saw him last. Other than that he looked just like I remember him, gorgeous russet skin, brown eyes, and a huge grin. "Jake you're huge! What have you been eating?"

He didn't answer. Instead he just smiled wider,—a feat that seemed impossible—picked me up, and swung me in circles. I laughed, I couldn't help it, I'd always loved merry-go-rounds, and I was childish enough to admit it was fun.

"It's good to see you too, baby brother." I felt him shake with laughter as he set me on my feet, grabbed my face in both hands, and leaned in, his face close to mine. I looked at his lips when he started speaking. "I. Want. To. Drive. Your. Car." He said each word slowly and distinctly. "Please?"

I laughed. "Yes. You can drive my car."

He hugged me again, tighter this time. "Jake... need... to... breathe." I felt his chest rumble and knew he was laughing at me again, but at least he put me down.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Charlie grinning at me.

"Hey, Dad," I smiled, hugging him.

He pulled away so I could see his face. "It's good to see you, Bells."

"It's good to see you too, Dad." We hugged again, and quickly let go.

Next up was Billy Black. I remembered him very well, I nearly gagged at the memory of all the fishing trips I'd had to endure, and couldn't repress the shudder that memory always caused.

Billy and Charlie _loved_ to fish. Even getting into a car wreck, and being paralyzed from the waist down hadn't stopped Billy. I doubt it would have stopped Charlie either.

"Hello, Billy."

"Hey, Bella." Even though Jake and I were like siblings, I'd never connected with Billy. In actuality, I didn't know him that well; so things were a little awkward.

Charlie waved his hand to get my attention. He wasn't any good at sign language so I always had to speak to him. It wasn't as bad as talking to strangers, but I still felt self-conscious and slightly nervous doing it. The only people I'd ever been comfortable talking to were Jake and Renee. I suspected it was because they were the only two people I really knew.

I turned to face Charlie again. "Yes?"

"We need to hurry." His face scrunched into an expression that could only be interpreted at disgust. "I've got a party to get too."

Charlie was going to a party? I couldn't fathom that, he hated parties almost as much as I did. "Why?"

He rolled his eyes. "The hospital does it every year. It's for everyone important in town, the hospital staff, the owner of Newton's Outfitters, the Mayor, the school principal, basically everyone. I'm the sheriff so I'm included in that, besides I'm obligated to go. Last year Mr. Newton got drunk and started dancing on the tables." He shook his head sadly.

I coughed to hide my laugh. "You wanna be my date?" The cough turned into choking.

"I... What...No!" There is no way I'm going to a party where everyone was a stranger, twenty years older than me, with my father. Ugh, each possibility was more terrifying than the last.

"Come on, Bells. I need an excuse to get out of there early." He looked like my mom when she was trying to talk me into one of her crazy stunts.

"Sorry, Sheriff, it's not gonna happen." I couldn't. They would all want to talk to me. I would have to talk back. No way, school was going to be hard enough. I could see him preparing his next argument, but I braced myself to be firm. I was not going to be talked into this.

Thankfully, Jake came to my rescue. "Bella, you can't go; I've got to go with Dad tonight. He's got a bachelor party to throw and, sadly, I'm not allowed. So I'll be stuck outside, in the car, for hours. Alone, bored, and looking like a loser. You've got to come. We can go see a movie while they party. Please Bella?"

I sighed. His expression was just too cute. Even if he wasn't throwing me a life-line, I wouldn't have been able to say no. Jake could do pleading puppy-dog eyes like nobody's business.

"Okay." I nodded vigorously.

Charlie rolled his eyes and groaned. "Where's your luggage? If I'm going to that stupid party I'm not going to be late." Petulant child was the phrase that came to mind, but I was way too smart to say it out loud.

I patted my carry-on. "This is it."

Billy blinked. "Is that all the luggage you brought? What about clothes?"

I laughed at his expression. "I've got two outfits in here. And everything else I'll need for the next two days. The rest of my stuff should arrive tomorrow."

Jake mock punched me in the arm, "Smart, little sister, very smart."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Smart for you Jake, common sense to everyone else." Charlie and Billy snickered, Jake glared.

Charlie grabbed my duffel. "Come on. Let's go." With that he turned and walked away. Billy quickly rolled after him.

Jake punched my arm, hard this time, and ran away with both arms wrapped around his head. Trying to protect it I imagine.

_Good luck, I can wait for you to relax,_ I thought grinning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

I stood outside the hospital cafeteria, staring at my reflection in the glass doors. I groaned, _Why am I doing this?_

_Oh, yeah, because I can't get inside my own house. _

I stared at the people inside, wondering if I should wait for Charlie by his cruiser. There were eight or nine dozen people inside, all wearing formal wear, tuxedos and ball gowns, much classier than I'd expected from Forks.

I looked back at my reflection, evaluating my appearance. I stood about five foot one, with brown eyes set in a heart shaped face and waist length mahogany hair. I was slender, but not curvy, and I was ghostly pale. Not to mention I was wearing a t-shirt, jeans and a denim jacket. And they were noticeably damp from the ever present drizzle.

Yeah, no way was I going to be able to fly under the radar in that room. Actually, that was asking too much, all I wanted was to NOT draw attention like a leper leaving a trail of body parts in his wake.

_Yep, that would be nice. _

Looking away from my reflection and focusing my eyes on the party goers, I spotted Charlie, complete with his one and only suit, a few feet inside the door, he was...

_What precisely, is he doing,_ I questioned. I pressed my face against the glass, so I could see better, and studied the scene if front of me.

I bit my lip, to keep from laughing. It looked like he was scared for his life or at least his body, although I could completely sympathize, considering the circumstances.

My mirth got the best of me, as I laughed and decided I was going in there. I didn't really want to wait in the rain for the next few hours anyway. Besides, Charlie obviously required help.

I carefully pulled the door ajar, trying not to make any noise. I assumed I didn't since no one even glanced in my direction.

Thankfully, no one seemed to notice me, absorbed in what they were doing, standing around talking animatedly or dancing to music I couldn't hear.

Given that I didn't see anyone looking in my general direction, I stopped skulking and went to rescue Charlie. That no one had noticed their Police Chief being assaulted, seemed a little over the top to me.

Charlie was pressing himself into a corner, obviously trying to put some distance between him and the woman harassing him. I knew she was drunk, I couldn't see her face, but it was obvious from the way she weaved to the side, and seemed to have a difficult time standing up straight.

She ran her hands up his chest and nuzzled his neck. I gagged, as Charlie grimaced, trying in vain to push her away.

He was obviously being careful not to hurt her, as he could have forced her away. I smiled softly, it was so typical of Charlie to go easy on women. He'd never been able to forcibly arrest one.

_That's okay; I can take care of this, for him. She's already so drunk she won't remember this tomorrow, why not do things the easy way?_

I used my telekinesis to pull her back a few steps, while simultaneously keeping her upright. I was rewarded with a relieved sigh from Charlie.

I kept a low profile and moved to the side so I could see their lips clearly.

I was a few feet away when she spoke again, "Come on Charlie. You know I've always had a thing for you. I promise you won't regret it."

_Ew, gross. I really did not need to see that. _

Charlie mumbled something that looked like, "Oh God, somebody save me." He simultaneously slid along the wall in a desperate attempt to escape the woman, who apparently thought snatching at his clothes, was sexy.

I hid my disgust, and made sure to keep my voice low; deaf people have a tendency to unwittingly yell when they get upset. "Do you think you can sober up long enough to get your hands off my father?" They turned to me.

Charlie stared at me with wide, embarrassed eyes, "Bella?"

The woman regarded me with a contemptuous sneer. I barely resisted the urge to shove her away with my telekinesis. Not that that was a bad idea, I would keep it in mind, just in case she truly got difficult.

"Who are you?" She spat. I could tell by her posture and the way her lips moved, that her tone wasn't nice.

I stilled a flare of irritation, and kept my expression blank; almost like I was talking about the weather with an extremely boring person. "Isabella Swan."

She stepped away from Charlie and toward me. "Oh. You're Charlie's daughter."

I gritted my teeth when she smiled; I did not like this woman.

"I'm Barbara Newton. My husband owns Newton's Outfitters." She said this like it was important. I briefly wondered why? If she thought _that_ made her important, my father was the Chief of Police. That trumped a store owner's wife any day.

"You can call me, Miss Swan." I slipped a little, and contempt showed in my voice, but only for the smallest second.

Her fake smile fell, so I assumed she picked up on it. "Fine, why don't you run along and play now. Charlie, and I, want some adult time."

I blinked, _What the hell? _God, she reminded me of one of mom's old boyfriends. "Sorry, but I have to interrupt. I really need to talk to my father." I turned to face Charlie who had taken advantage of her distraction to slither along the wall, and hide behind me.

"Dad, we need to go. Jake and I..." I gasped when I felt my telekinesis reach out violently toward something. I knew what that meant.

A millisecond later, I stumbled backward when hard, manicured fingernails clamped down on my shoulder, and tried to snatch me backward.

Compared to my shield, her strength-such as it was- didn't amount to much. She couldn't have mussed my hair with my shield in place, much less pull me down. I had to allow myself to fall, though. She was twice my size, it wasn't plausible that she wouldn't be stronger than me.

I landed on my backside, still suppressing my telekinesis.

In the back of my mind I noticed small vibrations through the floor, and knew Charlie hadn't reacted well to Mrs. Newton's attack. I knew it, but I didn't look to see what was going on, I was too busy to care.

After a few seconds, I felt a shift inside my entire body, and relaxed. That shift meant that I had overpowered my gift instincts; it went from trying to push it's way outward, to resting softy within me. It was a strange feeling.

I sighed, relieved and not a little irritated that it had freaked out over nothing, again. Seriously, what threat did Barbara Newton pose? _Stop doing crap like that_, I thought.

If I could control my subconscious it might have listened for once. My telekinetic mind responded to a slew of cues, my emotions, my mental mindset, and outside motion. Since I despised the vile woman my emotions towards her wasn't nice, I wasn't thinking kind thoughts towards her, and when she'd surprised me it had been too much for my telekinetic mind to let pass, so it had tried to act on its own.

_My little buddy loves me. _

I opened my eyes to see Charlie arguing with the Newton woman. His back was to me so I couldn't tell what he was saying. If the way he waved his arms, and held his body rigid, was any indication: he wasn't happy. Hopefully, he was so focused on protecting me that he hadn't noticed my little freak-out on the floor.

I got up as gracefully as I could, sure I looked like a drowning duck, but there wasn't anything I could do about that; I was naturally uncoordinated. I glanced around, blushing as I realized that everyone was staring at us, or rather me.

_What a way to make a first impression._

I lightly touched Charlie's arm to get his attention, he didn't seem to notice. I watched the woman's lips carefully when she put her hands on her hips, and started speaking. I tried to catch what she was saying, but she spoke too rapidly for me to be able to decipher the words.

I couldn't see what Charlie said back, but it didn't sit well with her. Her face twisted into an expression that would have made me slightly nervous before the whole vampire thing started happening. Humans just didn't seem intimidating after psychotic vampires tried to kill you. _Weird, huh?_

I saw her hand drawback to slap Charlie, and started towards her. No way was that bitch going to lay her filthy hands on my father.

Before I could take more than a step in their direction, an incredibly pale hand grasped her wrist.

Stunned, I followed it back to the man who owned it. That wasn't possible, no one was that pale. No one alive anyway.

The second my eyes landed on him, I knew I was screwed. Apparently, my telekinesis did too. It flared out, and strengthened the shield I was already wearing. It covered my entire body. I could move freely, but all movement within a quarter centimeter away from me was stopped, and nothing would be able to move any closer to me. Not even vampires.

I felt it expand into a bubble that would encompass Charlie, and gently reined it in. Charlie wouldn't have the freedom of movement that I did; he could easily suffocate if his chest couldn't expand. I'd only shield Charlie if it was necessary, and I would be smart about it.

I divided my attention between guarding Charlie, and breathing slowly, keeping my gift under control.

If it hadn't been for the vampires eyes, I would simply have used a shield to control him, but those eyes were something I'd come to respect. They were a serene golden brown. The eyes of a vegetarian.

I paid more attention to the half of my brain that was studying the vampire. I shouldn't have; I needed to be in control of myself, and of the situation, but I couldn't stop. This wasn't supposed to be happening, not here. Forks was supposed to be safe. He shouldn't be here. Not in a hospital... This wasn't supposed to be possible.

Regardless of any potential admiration, I had for this vampire, he was just that, a vampire capable of killing everyone in sight if he chose. Letting my guard down around him could prove to be a fatal mistake. With that thought floating around in my brain; I involuntary braced myself for a fight, still studying the vampire before me.

He was as pale as any vampire, honey colored hair and looked to be about twenty. Though, he could be a thousand years old; vampires didn't age. He was your typical, gorgeous vampire, only this one was standing in a hospital cafeteria, wearing a tux.

I read his lips as he spoke to Mrs. Newton. "There is a free bed in the nurses' station. I suggest you make use of it."

I was too busy watching his every move, so I didn't see her reaction, just her back as she stalked past him, into the crowd. Not all that surprising, considering how intimidating vampires could be.

I glanced from Mrs. Newton's retreating figure to Charlie in time to see him say. "Why did you do that? If she'd hit me I could have arrested her for assaulting a police officer."

I couldn't help but butt in. "And you couldn't arrest her for that when she was trying to shove you through the wall?" Charlie blushed as they shook hands. Charlie respected this vampire, it was obvious from the way he clasped his hand and stood tall with his shoulders back.

_Wait? Charlie knew him? Oh, crap, crap, crap! _

_This is so not good, _I thought as sweat popped up on my brow and my heart kicked painfully in my chest. Even if he was a vegetarian; vampires are very dangerous to humans. Well, most humans, I wasn't really vulnerable since I was capable of defending myself, but Charlie didn't have that ability. My entire body started to ache slightly from the effort it took to keep my telekinesis under control.

I stopped paying attention to everything, but the vampires' position for a moment and focused all my attention on my telekinesis. Why had Charlie spent enough time around this thing to know him? It wasn't safe; he could snap, go to long between hunting trips, a dozen different things could result in Charlie being dinner. I'd almost lost Renee to one of them, that experience was the most painful of my existence. I didn't think I could survive loosing Charlie.

_Stop thinking like that or I'll be responsible for his death. _I made myself focus on thoughts of Charlie's safety; I couldn't live if I was responsible for him winding up like Renee almost had. The thought of Charlie lying in the dirt, crying and bleeding his ribs shattered and exposed, was almost enough to weaken my mental grip on my errant ability.

_Charlie will be fine as long as I calm down and don't force the vampire to defend himself. Pretend ignorance, get Charlie away from the threat, find out exactly what the situation is and then decide on a course of action that will protect him._ That plan, when repeated over and over , calmed me. I'd always felt more in control when I had made a choice, indecision was when I was dangerous. It was physically painful to wrestle it into submission, but eventually I felt the shift and breathed a sigh of relief.

I slowly opened my eyes to see Charlie and the Vampire staring at me worriedly.

My eyes focused on the vampire when he started speaking. It was more complicated to read a vampire lips because their skin was stone hard, and didn't flex or move like human lips. "Are you feeling alright?"

I took a step to the side so that I was in front of Charlie, as a potential shield. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" I didn't need him to repeat it, I needed a reason to get between him and Charlie.

Not that it mattered, Charlie immediately stepped around me and stood beside the vampire. _Idiot, I was trying to help you! _

I forced my eyes to Charlie, "Bella this is Dr. Cullen. He works here at the hospital." He shifted slightly, so that he faced the doctor, but I could still read his lips. "Doctor, this is my daughter, Bella. She's deaf and, depending on the person, reading lips can sometimes be difficult."

_Doctor? This vampire was passing himself off as a doctor? The kind of 'Doctor' that worked in a hospital, around blood? _

Charlie started to speak again, but I cut him off when I saw something on the vampire's shirt. "Is that blood?" I didn't mean to raise my voice, it was an involuntary reaction.

Charlie nodded his expression becoming animated. "A woman broke her wine glass and took a chunk out of her hand. There was blood everywhere." His eyes glittered as he regaled me with his story. _ God, how boring is this town, if that constitutes excitement?_

I ignored Charlie, and glanced at the vampire to see him studying me, I darted my gaze back to Charlie. "The doc here sewed her up. Now what are you doing here? What's going on, and why are you acting so weird?" His face went from bright and animated, to worried and pale. "Are you okay?"

I ignored him in favor of questioning 'The Doctor?' "You sewed her bloody hand?"

Was it even possible for a vampire to be that close to blood, and not feed from the helpless person bleeding? And he hadn't eaten her, I was positive of that. If he had his eyes would glow a bright, eerie red.

If what Charlie claimed was true this vampire would have to possess incredible control, to be that close to blood, even more than Phil. I hadn't even thought that was possible. James and Victoria were rabid beasts, according to Phil that was the norm for vampires.

The doctor did nothing more than nod in response to my question. He continued to study me.

_Oh, crap._ I groaned to myself, my heart thudding in fear and annoyance. Whatever the explanation, vampires just shouldn't be around blood, it was stupid. Doubly so, when said vampire was a vegetarian.

_Why would he tempt himself?_ I huffed, seriously upset that I couldn't understand this vampire or his reasoning. Mentally I knew better than to express my feelings or thoughts out loud; vampires had super hearing and super vision. It was almost impossible to hide your reactions from them.

If he knew that I knew what he was, he would kill me. He would have to, that was the rule: If a human found out, they died so that the mythical world, that existed around them, would remain a secret. And the human population, regarded as nothing more than a food source by vampires, would remain blissfully ignorant.

I schooled my face into a neutral expression, turning my attention back to Charlie. He hadn't forgotten about my weird behavior, and was getting more anxious by the minute. "What was all that about? She didn't hurt you; did she?"

"No, she didn't hurt me. I'm just a little freaked out." _Like she could have hurt me, how ridiculous._

Charlie relaxed, tilted his head to the side and regarded me thoughtfully, "Why are you here? I thought you were going to the movies with Jake?"

I sighed, and grabbed his arm trying to pull him toward the door. "They dropped me off at home thirty minutes ago, but you never gave me a house key so I was locked outside. I waited, but when you didn't show up, I decided to come get the key, and rescue you in the process." Despite my tugging, he still hadn't budged an inch. Protecting him was getting difficult. Couldn't he be like a normal person and want to get way from the vampires?

"Bella, the key's hidden on the eave above the door." I stopped pulling on him, and blushed.

"Why would you hide a key there, anyone could find it?"

Charlie just rolled his eyes. "You're too much of a city girl. This is a small town; we don't have much crime around here. And we don't have anyone stupid enough to break into the home of the Chief of Police."

_No,_ I thought, _You have a vegetarian vampire doctor. Much better than crime._

"Now, I thought you and Jake would be gone for hours, what happened?" I glanced from his lips to his face. He was his "Cop' face. Which meant he wouldn't leave me along until he got the story.

"Billy got drunk, and decided to cut out early. Now, I'm hungry, let's go home."

Charlie laughed, "I could have told you that would happen; Billy's never been able to hold his liquor."

I sighed, "Yeah, macho man stuff, very funny. Can we go now?"

I stopped paying attention to him as he turned to say his goodbye's to the doc. H was too close to this vampire, that wasn't going to work. I'd need to find a way to fix that.

When Charlie tapped my shoulder, I looked up and he gestured to the doctor. "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Swan."

I smiled. "It's nice to meet you too. And call me Bella." If a vampire could pretend to be civil so could I.

He smiled. "Very well, Bella. You can call me Carlisle. "

Trying to avoid speaking verbally, I nodded. He simply smiled slightly in response, still studying me with an odd expression.

I looked down, avoiding his gaze like a normal human would.

After a few seconds, Charlie put his arm around my shoulders and steered me towards the door. I didn't look back at the doc, even though the urge to do so was a tangible itch centered at the back of my neck.

I did notice, in the reflection of the glass doors, that he was still staring at me.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I waited until we made it to Charlie's house, -_our house_, I reminded myself- before I started questioning him about Dr. Cullen. Apparently 'Carlisle' had moved to town almost a year ago and had worked at the hospital ever since.

I was relieved to hear that, if he'd been here that long, there was no way he could be involved with James and Victoria.

Dr. Cullen had a wife, who was a stay at home mom, and five adopted children, who attended Forks High School. The same Forks High School I would be attending soon. _Great, I leave Phoenix to avoid the Dynamic Duo and move to the one place on earth that serves as a home for -what appears to be- the second largest coven on earth._

Which didn't make sense. According to Phil vampires didn't have covens of more than two or sometimes three. Their violent, territorial instincts prevented it. So what was going on with this Doctor? He, apparently, had a coven of seven. Going by Phil's info only the Volturi could claim to outnumber them.

The Volturi were led by three of the oldest know vampires in existence, and led a small army of very talented vampires. In addition to killing anyone who did anything to risk exposing them, they searched the world for humans with special or strong talents that would be enhanced when they became vampires, so they could change them and strengthen their army.

If these vampires were even half as gifted as the Volturi, I was in serious trouble. If they discovered my knowledge and abilities, that is. Of course, the doc might have suspected something. My reaction to him may have tipped him off; I'd been too concerned with protecting Charlie to play the ignorant human as well as I should have.

_So what now_, I thought. _What do I do now? _

That was an easy question to answer, as I only had one source for information into the vampire world... Phil. I would text him as soon as I could, and see if he knew anything about these strange vampires. If their coven is as large as Charlie claimed, they would be known.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

An hour later, after we'd eaten, Charlie collapsed on the sofa and stared at some sports program like it held the answers to the mysteries of the universe.

_I do not understand his obsession with sports._

I was seated beside him, trying to figure out what the players on television were doing. I was fairly sure they were playing basketball. That seemed a safe conclusion since they were running between basketball nets on a basketball court. And they were doing it with more grace than I could muster to walk with.

_So sad,_ I mentally pouted. _Just once it would be nice to be able to walk from point (a, to point (b, without humiliating myself._

After fifteen minutes of mind-numbing sports, I decided it was time for bed. "Goodnight Dad," I said, standing.

He held up his hand, a signal to wait. "Hold on a minute. Do you need me to wake you up in the morning?"

I shook my head. "No. I brought my alarm clock."

He focused his attention on the television again. "I signed you up for school. You start tomorrow."

_He did? Wow, that was very... parent-like of him._ I wasn't able to muster the brain cells necessary to do more than stare at him for a second. I wasn't used to someone doing something like that for me. I was always more of a parental figure than Mom, always the care taker; no one had ever tried to take care of me.

Genuinely moved by his thoughtfulness, I touched his shoulder lightly. "Thanks Dad."

He nodded, reaching up to pat my hand. "Make sure you go by the office first thing. Good night, Bells." He was immediately sucked back into the basketball game, so I didn't bother saying good night, he wouldn't have heard me anyway.

I climbed the stairs carefully and went straight to the bathroom. I showered quickly and washed my hair with my favorite strawberry scented shampoo. I'd never been one to enjoy long showers so I was in and out in five minutes. I hadn't bother to gather my clothes beforehand, I knew Charlie would be glued to the television for the next hour, so I wrapped myself in a towel and darted down the hall into my room.

I dressed in my favorite pajamas; a pair of ratty sweats and a t-shirt I'd stolen from Jake a few years ago. Jake always had the best shirts, so I stole the one's I wanted and eventually replaced them with the one's he would undoubtedly steal from me. I liked big t-shirts so mine would fit him and vice-versa.

After I dried my hair, I grabbed my cell and got comfortable on the bed before I texted Phil.

He had heard of the Cullen's. In fact, they were famous in the vampire world, vegetarians and the second largest coven in the world, only outnumbered by the Volturi, just as I'd thought.

Phil talked of them like hero's, genuinely admiring them, even though he'd never actually met any of them.

It was decided that, since the Cullen's were as close to a safe vampire as you could get, and I wasn't really vulnerable to a vampire attack, I would stay. At the first sign of trouble I would catch a flight out of the country, meet Phil somewhere, and he would make me disappear.

Not that I would actually follow that plan. I hadn't ever intended to do that. I was here to protect Charlie, trouble was the exact reason I wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

I set my alarm, placing the vibrator under my pillow before I crawled into bed.

Snuggling under the covers, I closed my eyes, quickly falling asleep despite the unusual surroundings.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I awoke feeling as if my head were lying on a washing machine.

Opening my eyes, I stared blankly at the ceiling. _What the hell?_

My mind flashed James and Victoria, but dismissed the idea just as quickly. If they were here my telekinesis would have sensed them and woken me.

I switched from survival mode to the mundane mind of a normal teenager; it was then that I remembered the stupid alarm clock vibrator. Groaning, I rolled over and switched it off before I looked at the time.

I'd actually woken up early enough that I didn't have to rush in order to make it to school.

"Fantastic," I groaned. I wasn't the type of person who enjoyed free time. Well, I used to be, but now I was living in hostile territory, and hiding in plain sight. It was just more time I would have to worry.

I reluctantly got up, made my bed and got ready. I hadn't thought ahead and picked out my outfit, so I just grabbed whatever was close.

I ran a brush through my hair, and made sure to grab my wallet, jacket, and backpack before I left the house.

When I reached my Girl I paused to run a hand over the silver hood, admiring the glossy finish. She was beautiful, no scratches, dents, or dirt. I kept her in perfect condition. It was only fitting for something so rare.

Most people admired her because she looked cool. They awed over her and didn't even realize that the Mustang Eleanor didn't officially exist in the Mustang automotive line. My baby was an artificial car created for the movie '_Gone in 60 Seconds'_. It was a Mustang created from parts cannibalized from a 1967 Mustang and the body of a 1967 Shelby GT500. The Mustang Eleanor was only vehicle in history to ever steal star credit in a movie.

It was only after the movie premiered and the Eleanor stole the show that it existed. Due to the popularity of the car, Mustang, in collaboration with Shelby automotive, created thirteen Mustang Eleanor's. They sold at auction for ridiculous amounts of money. My girl was number one and twice as valuable as the last twelve.

Smiling, I climbed inside.

I loved my car, the vibrations it made as I turned the key were fun for me. Most people wouldn't understand that.

When a hearing person heard that they tended to think science fiction, like a sixth sense and Daredevil. I, for one, had never understood how they made the leap from being deaf to a blind superhero, but they did, often.

It was always stressful to try and describe things like that to a normal person. That stress was made that much more difficult to handle because speaking wasn't a pleasant thing for most deaf people. It was uncomfortable not being able to hear your own voice.

There aren't many people who knew sign language. That meant that I had to rely on a speech-to-text converter, which served to draw even more attention. I hated that. It wasn't bad enough that they would be staring because I was the 'new girl'. They would also be curious about the 'deaf' new girl.

I sighed as pulled into the street, mentally preparing myself for the seemingly impossible tedium that was high school. Only it would be worse here because of Forks' tiny student body, and the coven of vampires I had to watch for.

Forks only had one real street so finding the school was extremely easy. Then again, not being able to find it in a town this size should result in immediate drug testing.

The hard part was finding a place to park; the entire lot seemed to be filled. My hope rested with a large vacant spot all the way in the back.

I was dismayed to see that none of the cars even resembled mine, of course you didn't see a lot like mine, but still. The newest vehicle here was a shiny, silver Volvo, and it stood out. I hadn't considered that my car would be one of the things that drew attention to me. Somehow Forks has even managed to turn my prized possession against me.

_This is going to be a nightmare. _

Not that it could compare to my actual nightmares. I shuddered slightly as I remembered the dreams that had plagued me for weeks after out last encounter with James. They were always the same, mom lying on the desert floor, staring unseeingly at the night sky, ribs protruding from her chest and pouring impossible amounts of blood into my lap. No matter how many times I'd seen it, I always woke up sweating, shaking and crying. Thankfully, I'd been free of them for awhile now. I couldn't imagine how Charlie would react to seeing me like that.

It had only been a four months since mom was changed. I'd tried my best to be there for her. To help her understand what her life was now. But it didn't take long for us to realize that my presence only hindered her in her new vegetarian lifestyle. She was adamant that she never take a human life, being constantly surrounded by my scent was too much for her to handle and eventually she wasn't able to resist anymore. She would attack and force me to defend myself.

In the beginning Phil thought that, since she was doing so well and seemed to be able to resist her newborn instincts, my presence would force her to become used to the temptation and gain full control much quicker than expected. It hadn't worked out that way.

I suppressed the tears pricking my eyes and forced myself to be calm. It wouldn't do to be caught crying on my first day.

I found an open parking space in the back, as far away from the school as possible. Which didn't really matter as it was under a tall, sturdy oak, and there wasn't another car within thirty feet of my precious paint job.

I shut off the car, grabbed my things and climbed out. I didn't leave immediately, just shouldered my backpack, and stood there studying the school.

It looked nothing like a school. Not like any school I'd ever seen, at least.

Where were the metal detectors, the guards or the chain link fences, at least some of the things I was used to? There wasn't even one large building, instead several small, brick buildings dotted a small piece of land. It also didn't help that that it was surrounded by deep, dense forest. The whole thing reminded me of a miniature Christmas village mom always put out during the holidays. Only the Christmas village had more buildings.

I smiled ruefully, they were even numbered; one, two, three... every single one, except for the last one that was simply labeled "Office."

I put my head down, and walked toward the office trying to ignore the stares. There weren't many students here, but the few who were seemed to recognize me as the new girl. They stopped and simply stared at me.

_Thank God most of them are smart enough to get out of the rain. _I didn't think I could have the entire student body staring at me without hyperventilating.

_Not now, anyway. I want to save that particular pleasure for lunch. I do need something to look forward too, after all._

I quickened my pace, crossing the distance quickly. As I opened the door and stepped inside, I glanced behind me to see that every student hadn't moved, at all. They stood in the same places they had when I'd first seen them.

_And it begins. These poor kids need something better to do with their time, a bowling alley or something._

I tuned my attention to the scene in front of me, not entirely surprised to see that the "Office" didn't look like an office.

_Big surprise there, this entire place is at odds with my definition of normal. _

Instead of desks, and the official feel you would expect, there was one large counter that halved the room, it sported dozens of multicolored trays that housed everything from paperclips to napkins.

My side of the room was completely devoid of anything except a few chairs that lined the wall beside the door.

Behind the counter were several tables piled with papers and folders. _God, get a filing system, this is a disgrace._

The only person in the room, besides me, stood behind the counter. She was a large, red headed woman with thick, red rimmed glasses. I look a deep breath and stepped up. "Excuse me. I'm Isabella Swan. I was told to-"

I didn't get to finish, she nodded and cut me off. "Yes, we've been expecting you. I'm Mrs. Cope."She sighed, "I can't believe Charlie's little girl is finally coming home. We know abot your infirmity, and have tried to think _everything_ possible to make things easier for you. "

I smiled politely. "What do you mean, Help me?" _And so, it starts. _

I told myself I'd endure it with a smile, because Charlie was an elected official around here and what people thought of him mattered. I've spent my entire life pretending to be normal, pretending to fit it. So pretending to be nice, for Charlie, wouldn't be going out of my way any_. _

She smiled brightly, "Well, we asked Angela Webber if she would help escort you around school, her little brother is deaf so she's skilled at sign language. And we've shuffled the kids around so that all your classes are in sequential order. Your first class will be in building one. Your second class is in building two, and so on."

I felt my eyes widen and my cheeks flame.

Unaware of my shock, she continued, "I have a map here for you. Each building is clearly marked and numbered. I've even drawn a line showing you the best way to get from one class to another. See, if you leave building 1 and need to go to building 2 you will have to walk straight past building 3 and then take a left before you pass building 5." She proudly held up the map, displaying a confusing series of twisted lines.

I clenched my fists and stepped forward quickly. I opened my mouth to tell her where she could put her sequential classes and her damn map when she said something I didn't catch, and pointed behind me.

I turned to see a pretty girl with soft features, and warm blue eyes glide through the door with a natural grace that made me want to switch her shampoo for Nair.

The second she saw me she raised her hands, "I'm so sorry about all this." She winced slightly as she signed to me.

She must be Angela. If her brother was deaf she would have a better understanding of what that was like, and the fact that being deaf didn't make you retarded. I raised my hand and signed, "I take it you are Angela Weber?"

She nodded. "I tried to talk them out of this, but they wouldn't listen," She signed, her expression troubled.

I sighed and signed, "It's not your fault."

Resigned to ignore Mrs. Cope, and her idiotic assumptions about my condition, I kept silent as she talked with Angela. I didn't particularly care what the woman had planned to _help_ me, so I didn't pay any attention to the exchange.

Soon Angela was walking toward the door, motioning for me to follow.

We talked as she walked me to my first class and, much to my surprise, I discovered that I actually liked her. She was smart, funny, and kind. She loved her little brothers, and taking care of them. Most importantly, she didn't begrudge the task like most people would have. Instead she looked forward to taking them to the beach with almost motherly warmth.

When we reached the classroom door, she stopped. "I'll leave you here. But you could sit with me and my friends at lunch, if you want."

"Yes, thank you." I signed, smiling. I was glad I hadn't yet had the opportunity to put Nair in her hair care products, it would have been a huge mistake.

Now that I had spent a little time with her, I really liked her. She was already the only friend I had in Forks. Well, aside from Jake, but he didn't count, he was family.

She nodded. "You shouldn't worry about everyone acting like Mrs. Cope. Most people won't make the same mistake."

I nodded, and said. "Thank you." Although, I didn't really believe her, small town people often held the same perceptions of oddities, such as me.

She blinked when I spoke.

"Yes, I can speak. It's just weird, so I prefer to Sign." I said, smiling at her surprised expression.

Her face melted into warm understanding as she nodded and waved goodbye. I guess she knew more about my difficulties than I'd thought.

Keeping an eye out for my bloodsucking schoolmates, I entered the classroom and went straight to the teacher's desk. He signed my attendance slip, after gawking at my name for what seemed like an eternity. I blushed the entire time.

I wanted more than anything to take the empty seat in the back, where I could hide until the class was over, but being deaf meant I needed to be able to read the teachers lips, so I grudgingly took a seat in front.

I only looked back once, doing a quick scan of the classroom.

Seeing that I was a member of the only species in the room, I relaxed and turned to face the teacher. I refused to think of the students that were shamelessly staring at me.

I could feel their eyes on me as I took my speech to text converter out of my backpack, switched it on and placed it on the desk. Thanks to that tiny device I didn't have to pay attention to the teachers. I could hook it up to my computer at home and have the entire lecture at my disposal. It also eliminated the need to take notes. Although, I usually did anyway, just to have something to do.

It wasn't easy, but I made it through the hour by focusing on the teacher and pretending I was alone in the room. Pretending that the hair was standing up on the back of my neck because I was cold, not because I was being stared at like a carnival sideshow attraction.

I did the same thing through second period, and third and fourth and fifth...

I was more than ready for this atrocity to be over when the lunch bell finally rang.

I shoved my things into my bag as quickly as I could, but waited for the mob of students to charge the exit before I got up and left. A klutz and a mob of overexcited teens did not mix well.

I could use always use my telekinesis to protect myself, but sometimes it was best to take the pain rather than risk exposure. Therefore, it was best to try and avoid the injury itself.

I made it to the cafeteria in minutes and waited my turn in line. I looked around, noting the cracking plaster and water stains on the ceiling. I tried to pretend I was bored, really I was looking for the Cullen's.

Then I found them.

Five vampires sitting at a table across the room, they had to the ones Charlie talked about. True to Phil's word, three of the five had brown eyes, the other two had black eyes; meaning they hadn't fed in awhile.

I had to admit, they were all very beautiful, even for vampires.

There were two women and three men. The women couldn't have been more different. One was tall with long blonde hair and a body that would make any model jealous.

The other was, really short, about four feet I'd guess, with dark spiky hair that stuck out in every direction, and skinny. She was as small as a child, a young child at that. I'd seen, first hand, the strength a vampire possessed, but it was hard for me to imagine such a tiny thing displaying that kind of power.

The men were worlds apart physically, as well. One was huge, like six-foot-eight with short, dark, curly hair and the muscles of a serious body builder. He reminded me of the Brawny man.

_Wow, serious Lumberjack qualities there. _All he needed was a red flannel shirt, and an ax thrown over his shoulder.

The next was as tall as the blond man, with short, pale hair. He was lanky, but well muscled. The thing that stood out about him was the look in his eye, very alert. Like he was always prepared to defend himself, I'd seen that look before and it wasn't one I'd ever forget. He was a fighter. I'd bet Phil's entire savings account that he'd seen a lot of violence and killing, done a lot as well.

I looked at the last one, a male.

_Hello, Beautiful. _

He had to be the most gorgeous creature on the planet. I couldn't fathom a more exquisite creature existing. He wasn't as tall as the first two, probably a head taller than my own five foot two. His wild bronze hair seemed to have a mind of its own; most people would call it bed head. I'd never liked that particular hair style, but on him it looked natural. It gave him a cute, unkempt look that made me smile. I hadn't ever seen anyone or anything so attractive. Nothing about him was ordinary, he seemed to stand out even among his own kind.

I blinked slowly and focused on him again, unable to believe what I was seeing. It wasn't fair that someone that beautiful should exist. The view didn't change, so I assumed I wasn't hallucinating.

I was distracted from my fascination with the vampire Adonis, when someone nudged me from behind. I glanced up to see that I was making an idiot of myself by standing there ogling a total stranger. Not to mention, I was holding up the line, so literally everyone noticed.

Unable to stop the blush, I looked down and grabbed lunch as quickly as I could. I knew myself well enough to know that I was way too stressed to handle anything heavy, so I bought a yellow apple and a pineapple soda.

_God, that's gross, _I thought as I looked at the selection of food laid out. It was yellow, all of it.

There was something seriously wrong with the human being that would willingly consume the disgustingly yellow themed grog these people were trying to pass off as edible food. Yellow spaghetti, yellow chili, yellow bread, yellow cake-everything was bright yellow. I hoped it was intentional.

I shook my head as I paid for lunch.

_The imbecile that spawned the yellow lunch idea should be taken out behind the school and savagely beaten. Preferably by the innocent people who suffers because of him and/or her. They could make an event of it, hand out bright yellow sticks and award gifts to the lucky people who landed the best blows. I'll bet it would be a huge boost for the school morale._

As soon as I received my change, I turned and started looking for somewhere secluded to spend the next hour.

That plan was ruined when I saw Angela waving at me and remembered my promise to sit with her.

I kept my eyes forward, never looking directly at anyone, as I made my way across the room as quietly as possible. I shouldn't have bothered, they all stared at me anyway.

I sighed in relief when I reached Angela's table. It would be so nice to have a distraction. I had never ever been comfortable with attention, and I'd never had this much interest paid to me before. It was nerve wracking.

Angela helped more than I thought she would, proving to be more than a distraction. She didn't treat me like the new girl or gape at me. She didn't even treat me like I was deaf.

It reminded me of living with mom, before she met Phil, when I was just Bella and nothing else was relevant. I felt like a whole person, even somewhat normal.

She introduced me to her friends, always careful to face me when she spoke without seeming to put any thought into it. Probably because of her brother, she was used to compensating for his lack of hearing.

I met a girl named Jessica, who I didn't like. She seemed artificial to me, like everything she did was carefully planned to accomplish something. I quickly learned that she loved the spotlight, and since I was the new girl, she wanted to be seen with me.

I met another girl, Lauren, who I instantly hated as well. She was unstable, bad tempered, conceited and bitter. If I was reading her expression and body language correctly, she hated me too. Not that I cared, if she had liked me I would have considered it an insult. Really, who wanted to be liked by that? You would have to be a veritable replica of her for that to ever happen.

I also met two boys. The first was Ben, a sweet, shy boy who threw longing glances at Angela when she wasn't looking. And If I was reading her expression right, she may have been a little smitten herself.

The last boy... _Bambi with testosterone, _His name was Mike Newton. He was undoubtedly related to the infamous Barbra Newton. _I wonder if he knows his mom's a slut? _

He stared at my chest enough to know he was a pheromone riddled, testosterone driven, and disrespectful little boy. Pretty much the normal condition for a guy his age, he was just much more obvious about it.

After the introductions, things settled down into what - I'm assuming - was their normal routine. They talked amongst themselves, laughing at things that seemed boring or ignorant to me. Occasionally they asked a question about what school was like in Phoenix or how I was liking Forks. I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied a lot.

Eventually, they seemed to forget I was there so I concentrated on eating my apple, trying not to think of the yellow food everyone shoved into their mouth, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that it looked like it'd been thrown up several times. I imagine they must have been desperate, either that or food themes were going to happen a lot during my stay here.

I was thinking of what would be needed to write a paper for English when Angela raised her hand for my attention. I looked up as she signed 'Edward Cullen is staring at you.'

Cullen? I'd noticed them when I'd first entered the cafeteria but I'd been distracted by the yellow insanity.

_Hey, remember the plan? Study them, get to know their classes and the paths they take to get each one and then avoid them. How simple is that? _

I forced my irritation away where it wouldn't distract me, turning to look at the vampires table, wondering which one was 'Edward.'

It was the Adonis, he was staring at me.

_Why is he staring at me? Does he know?_

No, no. Not possible, it'd been a week since I seen mom and Phil, there was no way he could smell them on me, and I couldn't think of any other way he would know. Unless he was gifted, there was no limit to the abilities he could have. Phil told me stories of vampires who possessed gift's that would make mine look less significant than a child's toy.

I studied his expression more closely... His eyes were narrowed and he looked into mine with a focused intensity. As I met his eyes, his brows drew together.

No, he wasn't aware of the fact that I knew what he was. He was searching for something. I just didn't know what.

My initial panic over, I got irritated all over again. What _does he want? Why is he staring at me?_

I raised an eyebrow questioningly.

He didn't respond, simply held my gaze.

_Okay, Hotness. What's up with you?_

I saw one of the others, his siblings, nudge his shoulder. Abruptly he snapped his mouth shut and swiftly turned around, back to staring at his food.

_Wonderful work, dumb ass. _I turned back to the table and clenched my teeth. I was supposed to pretend as if I were a normal human that didn't have an abnormal knowledge of the paranormal world, and here I'd somehow managed to unwittingly draw the attention of one of the very same people I was supposed to be hiding from.

_Phil's gonna be so pissed._

I glanced up and caught Angela's signing. 'That was weird. I've never seen them pay attention to anyone before.'

Knowing the obvious question, I asked it. 'Who are they?'

Angela launched into a detailed intro, 'Well, the tiny girl is Alice, the blonde girl is Rosalie, the blonde boy is Jasper, the big one is Emmett, and the one who was staring at you, is Edward. They're Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's adopted kids."

I hadn't noticed, but she'd been speaking aloud as she signed to me. Jessica, apparently following the conversation raised her hand to get my attention, "The weird thing is that Rosalie and Emmett are -together-together, as is dating. So are Alice and Jasper. Edward's the only one who's unattached, but don't bother. He doesn't date."

I smiled slightly, when I saw her sniff delicately. _Definitely a little unrequited affection there_, I thought, trying to hide my smile. I wondered when he'd turned her down. Not that she should be so insulted, a dinner date with that guy would most likely result in her being dinner.

I didn't look back at the Cullen's until the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Even then I simply glanced toward their table out of the corner of my eye, as I made my way to the trash cans.

Not a single one of them was paying attention to anything or anyone but themselves. They stood trays of untouched food in hand, and one by one threw them in the trash before gliding out the door with an inhuman grace.

I followed suit, and threw my trash away before leaving for my next class. I don't know which one it was, but I knew it would be found in building seven, so I walked in that general direction.

When I got there the door was clearly labeled Biology: Mr. Banner. I'd been disappointed with the classes so far, and knew this one was not going to be any different. I'd been in the advanced biology class in Phoenix, so there certainly wouldn't be anything new here.

I sighed, preparing myself for the tedium as I opened the door and entered the classroom.

I took the attendance slip to Mr. Banner extremely grateful that I wouldn't have to do it every day.

Mr. Banner, being nicer than the other teachers, didn't gawk at me, simply signed my slip and directed me to sit.

I took the signed slip he handed me and shoved it into my pocket as I turned, looking for an empty seat.

There was only one... right next to the Adonis Vampire.

Edward.

I felt apprehension skitter up my spine, but I didn't allow it to show. Controlling every bit of my reaction, I created a shield with my telekinesis and wrapped it around my body. I walked as normally as I could and sat down beside him, attempting to act as if I was another dim-witted human.

He immediately froze for a second, before pushing his chair to the far end of the table and turning his head.

I glanced quickly at him, astonished to see that he was holding his breath.

I hadn't ever seen a vampire do that before, except for when mom was bleeding to death; Phil had held his breath then. I knew it was because of me-I'd somehow caused him to react like that.

_But how?_ I wondered.

I made sure to angle my body away from his. It was a defensive gesture, I was aware of that. I just couldn't find it in myself to care.

I sat as still as I could, barely daring to breathe, least I provoke him. Soon after class began he turned to stare at me with hard, black eyes.

I held tight to my telekinesis, praying that would stop it from reacting on its own and stared studiously at Mr. Banner. I did my best to pretend I hadn't noticed the unstable vampire at my side, but I kept track of his every move by focusing my telekinesis on the space around him. That way I would be aware of his movements without having to sift through every single motion in the room.

I was right-he wasn't breathing. I racked my brain for a reason why he would do that. He'd been fine at lunch and he'd been fine here, at least until I'd approached him.

_But I'm not bleeding like mom was, so why?_

My scent could be stronger that the other humans. Phil said that human scents differed from human to human, but I hadn't ever caused this reaction before. If my scent was that strong wouldn't Phil have had the same reaction?

I thought over my day so far, searching for a way I could have hurt myself without knowing it. I hadn't fallen, or scratched myself or done anything that would result in blood loss. So that wasn't it.

I spent the next hour trying to find a satisfactory answer to that question. Trying being the operative word-I couldn't think of anything conclusive. I may have been more knowledgeable about vampires than your average human, but I didn't know enough to figure this one out.

I eventually had to shift positions. Humans didn't possess a vampire's ability to impersonate stone. Sitting so stiffly in one position for so long had created an ache that heated my back and shoulders. I'd endured it for as long as I could.

It wasn't a large movement, just a simple shifting of my weight from one hip to the other, but he growled. If I hadn't been monitoring him so closely I wouldn't have felt it.

As it was I couldn't stop my heart from stuttering. Fear tends to do that to a person.

Thankfully, I didn't have to respond in either words or action, at that very second the bell rang and he was gone. I know I'm not exactly an expert in human behavior, but I didn't think he was doing such a great job of pretending to be human. If anyone had been looking at him they would have instantly known he wasn't. It took him less than four seconds to grab his books and make it through the door.

I released the breath I hadn't known I was holding and slumped against my desk, my hands shaking and my heart pounding.

I stayed like that, attempting to calm myself, until Mr. Banner tapped my shoulder.

I looked up and focused on his lips, "Time for your next class, Miss Swan."

I nodded, grabbed my things and left.

I didn't have to look at my schedule to know what my next class was. There was only one left, gym.

I groaned aloud, not caring about the strange looks the nearby students sent me. I hated gym, and had thought that torture done with, but unlike Phoenix, where it was only required for two years, it was a prerequisite here for all four years.

I took my time getting to building eight. I wasn't in any hurry to humiliate myself. And with my legs shaking I was bound to be worse than usual.

I stopped behind a building, out of sight of the other students, and studied my trembling hands. I leaned back, resting against the cold concrete behind me. Closing my eyes, I forced myself to breathe deeply and evenly, clenching my hand to stop their trembling.

It took a few minutes, but it worked. To a degree, my hands stopped shaking, my breathing returned to normal and my heart rate slowed, but I couldn't rid myself of the sick, nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Pasting a calm, bored expression on my face, I pushed off the wall and proceeded to make my way to the gym.

Unlike every other class, gym was exactly the same as it was in Phoenix, it even looked the same.

We were playing volley ball today. I'd always thought volleyball was an apt name. It always called to mind the picture of a ship at sea, blinding firing volleys of cannon balls at its enemy, with no skill or tactical superiority, desperately trying to accomplish a goal it wasn't capable of.

Only I was the ship, my enemy was the net and I didn't have even a tenth of the skill and coordination it would take to hit the despicable little ball over the net.

After my third swipe at the ball, and my third -accidentally- wounded team mate, Coach Clapp came by and ordered me to sit it out today.

Smiling, I quickly made my way to the bleachers, and sat down well out of the way of any stray projectiles.

It wasn't what I would have preferred to be doing but it was better than volley ball, so it made me happy.

I watched the games mindlessly, thinking of Edward, and wondering why he hadn't attacked me when he so obviously wanted to.

_O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)_

By the time Coach Clapp called an end to gym, I wasn't any closer to solving the mystery of his behavior, but one thing was for certain; he absolutely loathed me.

I walked to my car in a daze, wondering about the vampire's reaction to me. _What did I do to inspire that kind of hatred? Why did I deserve that?_ I hadn't even spoken to him, he didn't know that I knew what he was, no did he know of my abilities. He had no reason to despise me.

_So why does he? More importantly, why do I care? _That one was easy to answer; if I was going to cohabitat peacefully with these vampires, I would need to, at least, avoid pissing them off. Not that I had done anything to anger him, I hadn't.

I wondered what his problem was, all the way home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

A disturbing text from Phil greeted me the next morning. He might have found a way to get information on the Cullens.

An old friend of his knew of another coven, similar to the Cullens, living in Alaska. Phil believed two covens so alike, in both size and dietary habits, would have to know of each other. It wasn't a sure thing, and would take time, but he was working on helping me.

I did not like that. He was risking too much. These covens were bound to have friends themselves. Even if he didn't go directly to them, asking around about them was risky.

I texted him back, telling him I could handle things on this end. And warning him to lay off. He needed to protect Renee, and this was not the way to do it.

I just hoped he listened.

I planned to avoid Edward. He had some issue with me, no matter what it was or what caused it, he'd already noticed me. That was bad, I needed them to ignore me as thoroughly as they did everyone else.

I looked for him as I entered the parking lot, and through my first five classes. So far, so good.

O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)

I made my way to the lunch room, taking note of the path I used to get there since it had been vampire sighting free.

Paying for lunch, I carefully looked toward the vampires as I carried my lunch tray to Angela's table. Surprisingly, there were only four inhuman beauties sitting at their table, and they were all staring at me.

Edward wasn't anywhere to be seen.

_Does that mean he skipped today?_

I tried to think of reasons to have my biology class transferred, as I made my way to Angela's table and sat in the only open seat-right next to Mike Newton. The second I got comfortable in my seat he reached over, and grabbed my shoulder.

Uncomfortable with his touch, I flinched away. Turning to face him, I subtly shifted positions so I wasn't within easy reach. Mike was delighted to have my attention, smiling seductively before he launched into an interrogation.

He wanted to know why a deaf girl had a cell phone, how I knew things like when the doorbell was ringing, and a dozen other questions.

I explained as best I could, but he still seemed amazed that a non-hearing person could do almost everything a hearing person could with just a little help. I think he expected me to be utterly dependent on other people.

I gleefully told him that was not the case. I explained that my cell phone had a program that translated what the caller said, into text that I read. Then I simply spoke to them and they heard my voice, like a normal phone call.

I explained that in each room of the house there were special lights attached to the walls. Those lights reacted to auditory cues, and cast a red, blue or green glow depending on what sensor had been activated. Red for the doorbell, blue for the phone, and green for everything else, like the oven timer or the microwave.

Mike was a bigger idiot than I'd originally thought. Once I'd satisfied his curiosity he started trying to impress me with stories of his athletic prowess.

As he talked, I thought of funny ways to tell him how ignorant I thought he was.

_Do you ever wonder what life would be like, if you had gotten enough oxygen at birth?_

_Are your parents siblings?_

_Did you just wake up one morning and decide to be a douche?_

I had no intention of saying them, but thinking about what I would say distracted me. The sad thing was that I didn't care. He sat there spewing lies, that definitely didn't impress me, and I was content to tune in every few minutes and nod. He talked, I ignored him and was content, as long as I didn't have to speak to him.

I've had a problem with speaking ever since I lost my hearing, but never like this. When talking to Mike I had to force every word past my lips. Like I was physically incapable of stringing more than two words together without the help of three thousand cc's of Thorazine.

Mike, however, was extremely talkative so I was spared that torment. As long as I gazed in his general direction he was happy. I ate my lunch and stared at the wall beside his head.

Every once in awhile, I would glance toward the Cullen table, only to see that Edward never made an appearance.

When lunch was over, Mike stalked me to my next class, chatting away. He didn't seem to remember that I was deaf and had to be directly facing him to know what he was saying.

I didn't remind him of it either. I was content to let him talk. At least that way I didn't have to pretend an interest in the nonsense that came out of him mouth.

When we reached the biology classroom, Mike followed me inside.

I winced slightly, it was too late for him to intend to hang around in order to talk some more. That meant he was supposed to be here.

I hadn't even known we shared a class. The discovery did not make me happy. I consciously acknowledged the fact that I really didn't have a reason to dislike him so much. Well, other than the fact that he was annoying.

_And yet, I can't help but picture him unconscious._

Still ignoring Mike, I held my breath as I looked toward my lab table expecting to see _'him'_ sitting there like yesterday.

He wasn't.

I sighed, relieved, as I sat down. Thankfully, Mr. Banner was just beginning his lecture, which meant Mike left and sat at his own table.

Digging out my translator, I placed it on the table, wondering if I was responsible for Edward's absence. _Was his reaction to me, the reason he wasn't here? Was that the reason his entire family stared at me today? Regardless, the plan remains the same. Edward's weird behavior is nothing more than a possible complication._

Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind, I forced myself to focus on Mr. Banner's lesson.

The instant class was over Mike appeared at my table, and I discovered that we also had gym together.

I squelched the rising irritation, determined not to lose my patience despite another unpleasant surprise, courtesy of Mike Newton.

_O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)_

After that my days settled into something of a normal routine. I went to school, always dreading seeing Edward again. I would make it to lunch, see that he wasn't there and relax. I even got used to the weird food, though I was never brave enough to eat any of it.

The other vampires never looked in my direction again. And, after a few days, I got used to avoiding them the few times I crossed their paths on the way to class. I relaxed, no longer afraid I'd be attacked and forced to defend myself. And by doing so, endanger my family.

Mike always walked me from the cafeteria to biology and then from biology to gym. My feelings for Mike went from annoyance, to extreme dislike ,and then disgust. I never allowed my thoughts to show, I was careful to tolerate his presence with a polite expression.

After school was over, I went home, cooked dinner for Charlie, and went to bed.

Forks once more deviated from Phoenix in a way that unsettled me. I had a lot of free time. In Phoenix there was always something to keep me busy, the schoolwork was more time consuming, I took care of mom, and I even had a part time job. Here, I had nothing.

I'd even stooped to asking Charlie about a job. He swore everything was already taken, but offered to pay me out of his pocket for the house work I did. I'd felt guilty for asking after that and let the subject drop.

So I was stuck. Once school was over it rarely took thirty minutes to complete the assigned homework, and I was left with more free time than I knew how to handle. I usually found myself reading, calling Renee or hanging out with Jake. I spent a lot of time irritating Jake. Pretty soon they were going to ban me from stepping foot on the reservation.

I was also forbidden from exercising my telekinesis. Phil had banned me from using it in Forks, because of the vampire infestation. I had to make a special trip out of town and find someplace very secluded to practice.

If I wanted to stay under the radar here, I had to act as if I was being watched, every second of every day. No matter where I was, or so Phil said. Personally, I thought that was a little extreme. But the alternative was enough to convince me that it was better to be safe than sorry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: **

One week after the incident in biology, I woke up after only a few hours of sleep. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't go back to sleep.

Reluctantly, I crawled out of bed and crept downstairs as quietly as I could. Charlie was undoubtedly still asleep at this hour.

I walked to the living room, turned around and walked to the kitchen, completely baffled as to what I wanted to do.

My eyes roamed from one end of the kitchen to the other. Taking note of everything simultaneously, the faded yellow walls that were painted eighteen years ago by Renee attempting to bring sunshine into the dank kitchen, the old oak table covered in long scratches and deep gouges; badges that testified to years of heavy use, the white Formica counter tops that hadn't ever changed. All these things were monuments of my childhood, but none of it helped the anxious feeling that settled in my stomach.

My eyes landed on the fridge, probably the only thing in this kitchen that wasn't older than I was, and my mind immediately recognized the distraction it needed.

As quietly as I could, I searched the icebox for something that would serve as breakfast. There wasn't much that appealed to me. My only choices were leftover lasagna or cereal.

I decided on cereal since I wouldn't have to heat it and the cleanup wouldn't take forever. I ate breakfast and then thoroughly washed everything I had touched in the process of making breakfast, the table, the door of the icebox, even the sink. It did not prove to be the distraction I wanted, but it did help.

I finished quickly, much quicker than I would have liked, and made my way to the living room. I crawled onto the couch and switched on the television. I made sure to turn the volume all the way down before I switched on the satellite receiver.

I hadn't ever been a TV person, always preferring to read instead. So there wasn't much that I wanted to watch. The one thing that did interest me was the local weather channel. Not that I didn't know what to expect. That was easy, cold weather, cold weather and more cold weather.

I watched it anyway, missing bits and pieces whenever the weatherman turned to point out something on the board behind him. I wasn't interested enough to turn on the closed captioning.

It didn't take long to get the gist. It was going to snow in the morning but rain about midday. Therefore, the snow wouldn't be around long. That I was grateful for, I'd never thought snow would be fun thing to experience.

Maybe I was just worrying for nothing. Things had been really normal lately, more normal than I'd felt in a long time. It had been a horrible year so far, first there was Phil, James, Mom almost dying, now I had seven vampires to hide from. There was also that little problem where I was beginning to obsess over a strange vampires even stranger dislike of me. Not exactly healthy. Especially for someone in my position.

I nodded, Yep_. It definitely sounds like I could use a little therapy._

I felt vibrations through my bare fee,t where they rested on the floor. Focusing on the rhythm, I instantly recognized them as footsteps. Charlie must be awake.

I pressed the return button on the remote so that it switched back to the basketball channel Charlie was watching last night.

_Probably the only channel he ever watched_, I thought ruefully.

I glanced toward the stairs as Charlie stumbled his way down, wearing purple sweatpants and a neon green shirt.

I laughed and quickly turned back to the television. _Ugh_, _that is one of the worst outfits I have ever seen_. Who would've thought that Charlie liked bright colors?

Disgusting colors, but they were colors. _Technically, I think. _Although, it was hard to tell, looking at them actually made my eyes hurt a little.

_He must be colorblind that has to be it. I really hope that's it. There isn't any other acceptable explanation for such a disaster_. One color would have been bad enough, but when you put the two together, it turned into a veritable train wreck.

I hid my humor and kept my expression neutral, as he made his way into the living room and plopped down in his recliner.

The thought that I might have woken him up occurred to me, "Did I wake you up?"

He rubbed his face with a rough hand before he answered, "No, I have to get ready for work in a few minutes." He paused, and looked at me apprehensively. "What are you doing up this early?"

I shrugged, "Couldn't sleep; I think the cold kept me awake." That was a lie, of course, but I couldn't tell him I was nervous. He would think I was sneaking around behind his back in order to date a biker punk. Any unexplained or unusual behavior sent Charlie in that direction.

It was a tad ridiculous, but I could see where he was coming from. Watching your daughter grow up and mature into a woman would scare any father. And there was that little detail where I wasn't a normal teenage girl. Charlie always remarked on how mature I seemed. Instead of taking that as a good thing, Charlie thought it meant that there was an explosion of teenage rebellion in my future. The idea seemed to frighten him a little, probably because he had no idea how to handle me, should it truly occur.

Wanting to divert his thoughts I asked, "Would you like omelets for breakfast?"

His eyes lit up just as I knew they would. Charlie never turned down food of any kind. "That'd be great Bells. Give me a few minutes to shower though."

I nodded and went into the kitchen to find the ingredients for the omelets. I took my time getting everything out of the refrigerator.

I was beating the eggs when Charlie appeared wearing his police uniform. It was several shades of brown. The only bright colors came from the patch on the arm that proclaimed him a member of the Forks sheriff's department, but even that contained sedate colors. It suited him.

_Seeing him now, you wouldn't suspect he was a closet color-phile_.

"I didn't know how you like your omelets so I added a little bit of everything, is that okay?"

He smiled and took his usual seat at the small kitchen table. "Great." His smile fell and his eyebrows drew together. "Um, Bella, what is 'everything'?"

I grinned at him. "You don't have to worry Dad. I can cook like a decent human being. No chocolate covered pickles, I promise."

I laughed outright at his relieved expression. I could identify with it, I'd stopped eating Renee's cooking when I was five. Chocolate covered pickles was one of the better culinary concoctions she'd come up with.

When Charlie pulled out his equipment, and started replacing the batteries in his flashlight I figured the conversation was over so I turned to the stove and got down to business.

Fifteen minutes later the food was done, I carefully folded the omelets, placing them on a plate before turning to the table.

I saw Charlie sitting there expectantly, he reminded me of the big bad wolf from that fairy tale. The only thing he was missing was a bib tucked into his collar and a knife and fork in his hands.

I rolled my eyes and served his breakfast.

After the first tentative bite, Charlie attacked the food with a vigor that suggested he'd been starved for half his life. I smiled and fixed a glass of milk for him. If he didn't get something to help him swallow that stuff he was going to choke.

I placed the glass on the table in front of him, just as he raised his hand to get my attention. I looked at his face so I could read his lips, which was more difficult than normal because he was trying to talk around a mouthful of food. "Aren't you going to have any?"

I shook my head, "No. I already ate."

Charlie went back to eating and I went upstairs to shower, although I'd already done it the night before. Making breakfast turned out to be messier than I had originally planned and I didn't want to go to school smelling like onions.

I picked out my clothes for school and carried them along with my personal bag into the bathroom with me. It was too cramped to share a bathroom with Charlie so I kept my shower supplies in a little bag I could take back and forth with me.

I was in and out in three minutes since I didn't bother to wash my hair. It was too cold to walk around with a wet head anyway.

I dressed and went down stairs to see that Charlie had already left for work.

Intending to clean up the mess I'd made fixing breakfast I went into the kitchen and discovered that Charlie had already done it.

I had been relying on that to give me something to occupy myself with until it was time for school. With nothing else to do, I went upstairs and curled up on my bed to reread _Gone with the Wind_.

I glanced at the clock every so often so I wouldn't be late for school.

As it was, I'd made it to the fifth chapter before I could even think about leaving. I decided to do it anyway. I would be early but maybe I would find a decent parking place this time.

I made it to school in record time, even though I drove slower than usual. I parked in my usual spot, away from everyone else.

I didn't bother to get out. Instead, I opened my backpack and went over the homework I had to turn in today. I couldn't find anything wrong, but, again it was something to do.

_Why?_

What did I have to feel anxious about? It didn't make any sense, I wasn't a flighty person. I couldn't remember a situation where my anxiety and nervousness weren't a direct product of an outside source. Why would I start having these feelings now, for no reason?

Maybe I needed to call mom.

Vibrations pulled my attention away from thoughts of a potential mental breakdown and towards the door at my left.

I glanced up and groaned. _Great, Mike again. Is he ever going to leave me alone?_

Sighing, I stuffed my homework into my backpack with no regard for the condition it would be in when I handed it over to the teachers.

Marshaling my patience, I opened the door and climbed out. Mike instantly started talking, "Got here early today, did you?"

I nodded, resisting the urge to point out what a stupid question that was, considering there was a grand total of five cars in the lot and classes wouldn't start for another thirty minutes. Mike was an idiot.

Shouldering my backpack, I walked slowly towards building one, Mike trailing along at my side chatting at the air particles happily. I ignored him and let my eyes roam, examining my surroundings and taking note of any moving vehicles or obstacles I would need to avoid.

I smiled when I saw Angela standing a few yards away. Using the signal every girl swears by, I tapped my thigh subtly. I saw her smile in response and nod slightly. _Thank God, she understood_.

She reached us as we were walking past the outdoor restrooms.

"Hey, Mike. Bella, can I talk to you for a second?" She didn't even stop moving, speaking to Mike and grabbing my arm at the same time. "You can have her back in just a minute Mike," She threw over her shoulder, simultaneously dragging me into the nearest ladies room. _Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,_ I chanted in my head, trying not to smile.

The second the door shut behind us, I grinned at her and signed, "Thank you. You're a life saver."

She nodded her head regally. "I know. Besides, I really do need to talk to you."

I nodded, waiting to hear what she wanted. I waited, and waited. "About what," I asked.

She took a breath, "I need a favor."

I nodded again, "Okay." I didn't know what she wanted but if I could help, I would. _She rescued me from Mike after all, that deserves to be rewarded in kind._

She bit her lip and signed, "It's kind of a big favor. You see, Jessica, Lauren and I are going shopping in Port Angeles Saturday. We need dresses for the girls' choice dance, and if I go with them I'll wind up wearing something slutty. I was hoping you could go and give me a little objective criticism, you see?"

I didn't, but if that's what she wanted in return for saving me from Mike; she could have it. "Okay, I'll go."

She smiled. "Thanks Bella."

I took her speaking aloud to mean that we weren't being covert any longer, so I replied in kind. "You're welcome."

We spent the next few minutes chatting about stupid useless things that didn't really count as small talk, but it was relaxing. The anxiety I'd been dealing with all morning eased and I enjoyed being able to have one normal moment away of the science fiction novel that was my life.

Mike was still outside when we left but a flurry of white fluffs falling from the sky had captured his attention. He ran frantically from one small pile of sludge to another, scraping together balls of mush. I saw several boys standing around, all engaged in the same activity. Apparently, I'd interrupted them in the middle of a war, I'd just been lucky enough to do it while they were reloading.

Taking their distraction as divine intervention, I quickly stepped around the building and out of their line of sight. I'd been expecting it to snow but I was still slightly disgusted to see it happen. I hadn't ever actually seen or experienced snow, but I hadn't ever imagined it would be something I would enjoy.

I decided I'd been right, when I stepped in a particularly deep pile of slush that filled my sneaker and soaked my pants leg. The numbing coldness wasn't pleasant. Shaking my leg to dislodge any remaining snow, I scowled and went in search of my class. Hoping the forecast had been right and it would rain soon. I'd take wet and cold over snow any day.

O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O

Things went pretty smoothly from then on. Classes were easy and I didn't have to see Mike again until lunch, and even then Angela helped me again. She even took the empty seat beside me so that he was forced to sit somewhere else.

The food was normal today, but I still wasn't able to force myself to consider ingesting it. I opted for another apple and soda. Everyone had pretty much gotten used to my presence by now, so I was left to enjoy my lunch in peace.

I was sitting there ignoring everyone and sipping my soda, when Angela tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned to look at her as she mouthed, "Edward Cullen is staring at you again."

_Edward? _

I couldn't stop the thrill that shot through me when she spoke his name. I turned in my seat and looked toward the table that no one dared approach.

He was there, all right.

And he was staring at me again. Just like the first time, he seemed frustrated at me. I gazed into his yellow eyes and felt a flare of the same irritation.

I turned away and focused on my soda. I knew that there was a lot about vampires I didn't understand. But one thing I did comprehend is that a vampire always had a reason for what they did. If they killed someone and drained them dry it was because they were thirsty. If they killed another vampire it was because they felt threatened or that vampire had invaded their territory. They never did anything without a reason, even if their reasons were evil. So what was this vampire's motivation for his frustration towards me?

I glanced back again to see that he was still staring at me. But unlike the biology incident there wasn't hatred or anger in his eyes, just curiosity and frustration. Not that I understood what it meant, but it sounded like an improvement. Perhaps he wouldn't want to kill me this time. Not that I would be in that class long enough to find out. If he was back, I would have to transfer.

I went back to what was left of my lunch and forced myself to keep my eyes on my own table. I didn't look back at him, no matter how much I wanted too.

I was trying to lie low, doing anything that might reveal any curiosity with the Adonis Vampire was not exactly conductive to that. Therefore, I would simply have to avoid him. That would be best, and very explainable. Most humans shied away from the friendly vampires that walked among them. Even if they didn't consciously recognize them to be monsters, their survival instincts were enough to keep them away.

Plan A) Ignore the vampires and everyone else, Plan B) Ignore the vampires ans everyone else, simple.

Fortunately, Mike was absorbed in his own little world and didn't try to speak to me the entire hour. He did, however, insist on walking me to biology.

I smiled as I stepped outside the cafeteria. It had rained, as promised. There wasn't a single snowflake in sight, nothing more than icy flecks that flowed away with the water.

_Now if only Mike would disappear._

O) O)) O))) O)))) O)))))

My hopes weren't completely in vain. Mike didn't say a word until we got to the door to biology class.

I was a few feet away from the door, and freedom, when he stepped in front of me, effectively blocking my path.

My stomach bottomed out as I glanced up at his face. I knew what he was going to say. I can't explain how I knew, I just did.

Maybe what alerted me was the fact that his face had gone beet red. I briefly entertained the picture of him passing out from lack of oxygen.

Seriously, it would be great. He would turn from red to purple, his eyes would bulge, giving him the appearance of a squishy toy, and then he would fall to the floor-landing on his face.

I looked down, hiding behind my hair as I smiled at the image. The last thing I needed right now was to accidentally encourage Mike.

My smile fell as I sighed quietly. It wasn't going to happen, even if I really, really wanted it to. As my mind came up with excuses to do it and reasons not too, I imagined I had a little devil on one shoulder, trying to convince me to do it, and an angel on the other, acting as my conscience.

"_It could definitely happen. You could make it happen!" The Devil smiled before looking down and picking non-existent lint off his pointed tail._

"_No you can't. Why would you do that when all you have to do is say no?" The angel seemed angrier than I would have expected. _

Aren't angels supposed to be serene?

"_Oh, let me think. So she doesn't have to deal with the pathetic, nonsensical entity that wears human skin and calls itself Mike Newton._ _All it would take was a tiny, itsy bitsy, almost insignificant, little smidgen of effort on your part. It would be so easy. Stop his chest from moving so he can't inhale._ _That isn't anything that would expose you." The Devil spoke to the angel, seeming to forget I was the one he needed to convince._

"_But it's wrong, what if he has a heart murmur or some medical condition and he dies because of you?"_

Okay, there is something seriously wrong here. Even my angel, the personification of my conscience, is ignoring me.

_The devil waived his hand as if the angel's worries didn't matter. "Get a grip, you little white bastard. Heart murmurs are very rare, what are the odds that Mike has one?"_

_My angel glared as she showed her teeth in a grimace. "But what if he breaks his nose when he lands and it goes into his brain and kills him. I know he annoys you. Hell, he annoys me, but he doesn't deserve to die because he's an idiot."_

"_There you go, being stupid again. She could easily put a shield around his head... Did you just swear?" The devil gaped at my angel, a smile spreading across her face._

"_Of course, I didn't. Stop trying to distract me. She shouldn't risk doing something that might harm the boy. And stop calling me names, I'm the angel here. Show some respect, you little shithead."_

"_Oh, be still my heart. I knew you had a dark side just waiting to come out." The devil clapped his hands gleefully. "_

"_I do not." The angel calmly reached up and pulled her halo out of thin air. Making a big show of polishing it, she placed it delicately on her head, and stared at the devil regally._

"_Oh, come on now, don't deny it. You just swore for the second time."_

_Dropping the facade my angel glared and spat, "Ass-hat."_

"_Hah, that's three."_

I waved my hand in front of my face and shook my head a little, trying to dispel the images my mind had conjured up._ I'm going insane. _

_Okay, if I can't injure him, what do I do?_

I'd never considered myself a coward, and I wasn't. However, I was more than willing to be spineless if it meant I could escape the coming embarrassment.

I glanced up at him and winced. Apparently he wasn't comfortable with this situation either. He stared at the floor, blushing, and clenching his hands.

I briefly wondered how long he'd been standing there trying to work up the courage, while I had a mini-breakdown. Definitely not more than a minute.

Which meant class would be starting soon, so he was pressed for time.

Crap. I looked down and redoubled my effort, desperately trying to think of a way to avoid the coming conversation. My mind refused to cooperate, all I saw were pictures and flashes of conversations I'd had since my relocation to Forks. I saw Jake smiling and Mrs. Cope handing me the schedule. I saw Charlie sitting at the dinner table...

_Charlie! That's it. Charlie would be my excuse. I'll tell him that Charlie and I have plans. _

I was a horrible liar, but Mike was an idiot, so I could pull it off.

Despite the fact that I felt as if I were going to puke, I put on my best expectant expression and stared at his lips.

'Bella... Um, I was thinking that maybe... If you wanted too...' He paused, and took a deep breath. 'There's this new movie premiering in Port Angeles this Saturday, and I thought that we could go see it. Together, if you want. You know, like a date?"

He hadn't looked me in the eye since he began, which made me happy. If he wasn't looking at me, I would have a much better chance of pulling off a believable lie. I cocked my head as if I were thinking and said. "Oh. Mike, I'm sorry, but I have plans with Charlie."

"Oh, okay. That's cool, maybe later," he mumbled, blushing the entire time.

I did not respond, and he turned quickly, practically running through the classroom door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: **

I stared at the classroom door and wished that Mike was the worst thing I would have to deal with today. Unfortunately, I only had the options of either skipping or facing the Adonis Vampire again.

I really wanted to skip, but there were several reasons I couldn't do that, a) Charlie would freak if I didn't have a good reason, b) I wouldn't be able to skip forever, and c) unless the entire Cullen coven moved today I would just have to face him tomorrow.

Unfortunately, it would take a few days to switch classes, so that left me going to class, sitting beside him and pretending that we were both normal high school students.

_I can do that_.

If I were being truthful with myself, I would have admitted that I was intimidated by him. Sure, he hated me and I wasn't supposed to be near him, but there was something about him that drew me. It wasn't his beauty, it was something else, something intangible that I could neither understand nor identify. It was as much of an enigma as he was.

I rolled my eyes, I_t's a sure sign that I need to sleep when I started thinking like a poet._

Carefully arranging my face into a bored expression, and securing my shield, I opened the biology room door and calmly walked inside. I kept my eyes down, secretly watching him in my peripheral vision.

He was following my every move, openly staring at me. I also noticed that he'd moved his chair as far away from mine as it could be and still remain near the desk. Maybe I'd been right when I guessed that it was my scent that disturbed him?

I reached our table quickly, and pulled my chair away from his, before sitting down. Shield or not, it wasn't a good idea to antagonize vampires.

I focused on keeping my movements normal as I placed my backpack on the table, pulling out my Biology homework. Unlike most teachers, Mr. Banner required you to turn in your homework after the class ended. Placing it to the side, I retrieved my work book before dumping my backpack on the floor.

Acting as if I hadn't noticed Edward's existence, I put my book on the table and opened it to today's lesson. The plan was to pretend to read it so I had a reason to ignore him, but that went out the window when saw a pale hand waving beside my head.

Reluctantly, I glanced at his face-and boy what a face it was. Being deaf was a pain, I would love to hear his voice, just to see if it was a beautiful as the rest of him.

"Hello."

I was thinking so hard about his voice, wondering what he would sound like, that I didn't notice when he stopped speaking.

The second I realized I was staring at him like some mentally challenged plant, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Hello," I muttered, trying to seem bored. Perhaps if I acted like a brat he would leave me alone.

Deaf people tend to stare at someone's mouth more than their actual face, so there wasn't anything odd about that. However, there was something odd about him.

I watched him as he smiled, still watching me with wary eyes. I noticed that he still didn't look like he hated me. Unlike last week, when I know he hated me. _Can vampires have multiple personality disorder? _

"You must be Bella Swan. I'm Edward Cullen."

Phil had practiced, and studied, so he would know how to talk like someone born this century. There was nothing in the way he spoke that suggested at an accent. This vampire however, talked like an Elizabethan; his lips formed each word perfectly, there was no slang and he didn't rush his words.

Realizing I hadn't answered him -yet again- I blurted out the first words I thought of, "How do you know my name?"

I watched his eyebrows draw together slightly, and thought that maybe I'd missed part of the conversation. At least until he spoke. "Oh. I think everyone knows your name. The entire town has been waiting for you."

I sighed and looked back at the table. Though, I'd expected that very same thing, having it confirmed wasn't pleasant. _I've said it before, and I'll say it again: These people needed to find something interesting to do with their spare time. Plot the takeover of Microsoft. Embezzle something. Get tattoo's. Drugs. Create pine cone wreaths. Anything! _

I looked back at him as a thought occurred to me. "No, how do you know I prefer to be called Bella? Everyone I've met here calls me Isabella at first?"

The second the words were out of my mouth I regretted speaking them. His expression immediately shut down and he shrugged before turning to stare at Mr. Banner.

I guess Phil was right about the 'always assume you're being watched' thing. This vampire had been spying on me. Or at least listening to my conversations here at school; I could think of no other reason why he would know I preferred Bella.

I also realized that a normal human wouldn't have known to ask that question. Not that I'd known to ask, I was just trying to cover for the fact that I'd been staring at him.

I glanced at him for a second before I realized he was ignoring me again. Mentally sighing, I turned to watch the chalk board.

Mr. Banner started the class with an enthusiasm I hadn't seen from him before. He flitted from table to table, handing out microscopes and little boxes filled with slides. Chatting the entire time about what he intended to teach us.

The slides were out of order. The assignment was to study each one under the microscope and arrange them in the correct order by determining which stage of Mitosis they were in, without using our text books.

I rolled my eyes, I should have known. I'd hoped the lesson would be -if not hard-then at least interesting. That way I'd have something to focus on.

_Well, something other than the vampire that seems like he's suffering from some sort of personality disorder_.

I'd already done this project, two years ago, nothing interesting there.

Mr. Banner ordered us to wait until he was through making his rounds before starting, so I sat there beside the Adonis Vampire and pretended to watch Mr. Banner. In reality, I was checking my shield, the same shield that I'd pretty much forgotten about. It hadn't weakened or wavered in any way. It was still a good idea to monitor it, so it wouldn't reflexively throw someone out a window or something equally dangerous.

I didn't take my eyes off the chalkboard until Mr. Banner moved to the front of the classroom and stood behind his desk. I took that to mean we could start our Lab assignment, so I turned to grab the box of slides, pausing when I noticed the Adonis was moving.

I watched his eyes cautiously as he grabbed the microscope and slides, pushing them toward me. Smiling slightly he said, "Ladies first, Partner."

His eyes lit up as he smiled, and every single thought in my head vanished. I blinked and looked down for a second before raising my eyes up to his baffled face. Desperately searching for what I was doing before I... forgot everything.

I was still staring at him a few seconds later when he spoke, "Or I could start, if you wish?"

_Oh, Yeah. Lab, mitosis, slides, that's what I was doing._ I turned back to the table murmuring, "That's okay. I'll do it."

Confident of what I was doing, I quickly slid the microscope in front of me and snapped the first slide in place. I did this so I didn't have to look at him; it was easier to think that way.

I studied the slide for a second, before raising my head and staring at his mouth. "Metaphase," I stated confidently. I was very careful not to look directly at his face, or his eyes at all.

I was reaching for the box of slides, when I felt his hand, heavy atop mine where I gripped the microscope. I reacted instinctively, snatching my hand away. Not because of the near freezing temperature of his skin-I'd never found that distasteful like humans were supposed to. No, I snatched my hand away because of the spark that seemed to travel from his hand into mine, like a little current of electricity. But stronger somehow, warmer. Even now, after I'd severed contact from him, my hand tingled.

I glanced at his face, trying to control the blush I could feel spreading up my neck and into my face. I succeeded, but only barely.

_Thank goodness, if my suspicion is right and this vampire has a problem with my scent, blushing would only make it worse._

He didn't look any better than I felt, his jaw was clenched and he spoke through his teeth as he said, "Do you mind if I look?"

I shook my head and watched as he slid the microscope across the table and lowered his head. I also saw that he flexed his hand repeatedly, as if it were asleep. Perhaps he'd felt the current as well?

He looked at it for barely half-a-second, which was to be expected; vampires had a much higher developed mind than humans. Mathematical equations that would take an established genius, days to complete, a vampire could do in microseconds. Obviously, he was exceptionally intelligent.

I watched his lips, expecting a confirmation of what I'd said. He didn't disappoint, "Metaphase."

I nodded, "Like I said."

He smiled slightly, watching me from the corner of his eye. I don't think I was supposed to notice that, but my world was a visual one: I noticed more than most people did.

He turned to face me, not even paying attention to his hands as he exchanged the first slide for the second. "It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?"

Not a fan of icy roads that added danger to my already complicated life, I just shrugged in response to his question.

He cocked his head to the side, "You don't like the cold?"

I smiled slightly. "I don't mind the cold; it's the ice and snow that I don't like. Creates hazardous conditions for a klutz."

He copied my small smile and asked, "If you don't like them, why did you move to a town where the temperature only gets into the sixties during the summer?"

I sighed, "Oh, that. I didn't have much of a choice. My mom got remarried."

He glanced quickly at the slide, and then slid me the microscope again, before turning to write the answer on the work sheet.

I declined to check and see if he was right - since he was - and held my hand out for the third slide.

Keeping his face turned towards me, he handed me the slide seeming to take special care not to touch me again. "Do you not like the guy or something?" He asked, looking sympathetic.

I glanced at the slide, and pushed it back before I answered, "Prophase. No, Phil's great. I just decided it was time to reacquaint myself with Charlie. Mom and Phil are newlyweds who want to travel the world doing exotic things, and I don't. Besides, it sucks to constantly be the third wheel."

"I can imagine," He said, quickly checking my answer, writing it down and switching the slide.

Unlike every time before, he didn't look at the slide himself, nor did he slide it towards me. "What did you mean by 'travel the world' and 'do exotic things'?"

I mentally groaned doing everything in my power to make sure none of my apprehension showed in my movements, tone or posture. I knew it was a bad idea to lie to a vampire, especially when I wasn't a good liar to begin with. "They have a list, they want to go backpacking through the Himalayas and see the Seven Wonders of the World, stuff like that. As for the 'do exotic things' part, I just assumed they'd be eating bugs or doing something equally weird along the way."

There, I'd done everything I knew to do in order lie convincingly. No unusual movements, no looking away from his face, and I'd even managed to keep my heart rate normal. I couldn't explain how that was done, I just did it. Phil had somehow managed to teach me that little trick without ever telling me how it was supposed to be done.

I wasn't even sure he knew he was teaching me. Phil loved Renee and wanted to be a good stepfather to her daughter, so he was overprotective and nosy. He hovered more than she did. He wasn't happy to let me live my life and make my own decisions. He constantly questioned me about how I was doing in school, was there any boys I liked, did I need anything?

I glanced at the Adonis Vampire when he waved at me once again.

_Okay, I have got to stop thinking of him like that._

When "Edward" waved his hand in front of my face.

I leaned back and stared at him for half a second, "Oh, sorry." I said, unable to stop my blush. "I was thinking."

He nodded and pushed the slide, towards me again. I peeked at it and gave him my answer. He wrote it down without checking to see if I was right.

I noticed that he was sitting straighter than he had been a few minutes ago and tuned into my telekinesis so I could monitor his movements. He was holding his breath again.

I briefly pondered that before I realized the cause. I was right, it was my scent; he'd stopped breathing when I blushed!

The blood that rushed to the face when someone blushed caused their scent to become stronger because the blood was so close to the surface of the skin. _Thank you, Phil, for the crash course in vampires,_ I thought. _It definitely comes in handy._

Carefully monitoring Adonis... Edward, I pulled my translator closer to make sure I hadn't missed anything Mr. Banner had said.

I'd missed quite a lot. But none of it was important so I replaced it with my Biology book and pretended to read it. Edward stared at the front of the class, and subtly shifted his chair further away from me. I didn't see how he managed that, he was practically sitting in the aisle as it was.

We sat there pretending to ignore each other until Mr. Banner came to see why we weren't working. I felt him approach, easily identifying him with my telekinetic mind. But to maintain appearances, I waited until he was standing in front of our table before glancing up and staring at his face. He didn't speak at first, simply grabbed the work sheet and read over our answers.

Finally, he looked at Edward disapprovingly, "Mr. Cullen? Don't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?"

I looked from him to Edward, so I could see his response. "Bella," He corrected reflexively. "Actually, she identified three of the five."

Mr. Banner turned to me, with his hands on his hips, "Have you ever done this lab before?"

I smiled, sheepishly. "Not with Onion Root."

"Whitefish Blastula," He asked.

I nodded.

His eyebrows drew together, "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"

Again I nodded. I didn't want to speak to him, didn't even like the thought of it. _Funny; I'd been fine talking to Edward, no qualms at all. _

Mr. Banner pulled his shoulders back, "In which subjects?"

"A. All of them," I stuttered, gritting my teeth and fighting to hold back the blush that rose from my embarrassment at stuttering. I didn't want to be seen as week, by anyone.

He nodded slowly, seeming flustered, "Uh. Then it's good you two are lab partners then, I guess." With that he turned and walked away.

I stared after him for a few seconds before dropping my gaze to rest on my Lab book again.

Edward and I stared into different directions until I felt my classmates start to move enthusiastically. That was all they had time for, before Edward fled the room at a speed few humans could summon on a race track, much less a class room. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice.

I waited until everyone had cleared out of the class room, as was my routine, before I left. I had to force my feet to carry me in the direction of the gym. I wanted more than anything to go home, but I couldn't. I'd committed myself to living here and until something happened to change that, Gym was a requirement and I couldn't skip it for the next two years without killing my grade. I had to at least try to pass it.

As it turns out "Try" was the best I could do. I was so out of sorts that I was even worse in Gym than normal. We were playing Basket Ball, and no matter how hard I focused I still fell, several times. Sometimes I took other people with me.

Halfway through Coach Clapp came by and ordered me to sit it out the rest of the day. It wasn't the first time he'd done that, and every time I liked him a little bit more. If he kept it up I'd be buying him Christmas presents.

When Gym ended, I discovered that it had stopped raining and started pouring. I was entirely soaked by the time I reached my car.

I didn't want to get inside and ruin the leather, but the only other choice was to stand out in the rain, and get sick, so I opted to protect my health over the car. I drove slowly, careful not to drive into any water that might be deep enough to stall my engine.

Half the parking lot had cleared out in the time it took to drive across the lot and park in front of the office. I was a little impressed; these kids knew what they were doing. In phoenix the kids would still be trying to get out of the building.

I disregarded the 'No Parking' sign. I was only going to be in there a minute, and the idiot that posted that sign probably hadn't considered the lengths I was willing to go to in order to avoid rain. Besides, Charlie was the 'Chief of Police' what were the odds I'd actually get a ticket?

I pulled my jacket tighter around me and climbed out as quickly as I could, running for the door. As I entered, I simultaneously shook the water out of my hair and scanned the room. Thankfully I was alone, except for Mrs. Cope; it wouldn't do for another student to hear me.

I pasted on a weak, upset look and walked to the desk, moving slowly to enhance the charade. "Um, Excuse me."

Mrs. Cope looked up, startled. "Oh, hello Miss Swan, what can I do for you?"

I bit my lip, suddenly unsure if I was capable of pulling off this deception. "I was wondering if it would be possible to switch from fifth hour biology to another time. Any other time would do."

"Is there a problem," She asked, practically salivating.

_One more reason to dislike her. _I'd never had much patience with gossips.

"Nothing serious, I would just prefer to switch classes. " I considered using my 'disability' as an excuse. She wanted to be helpful, I'd manipulate her into actually helping me this time. I considered it, but I knew I wouldn't go through with it. I had too much pride to play into her insulting misconceptions.

"Well, let me see," she murmured, flipping through a folder. "I'm sorry, there aren't any open spots available."

I sighed, "Could I use that hour as a free period then?"

Her eyebrows drew together; I couldn't tell if she was confused or upset. "If you do that you won't have enough credits to graduate."

"That's okay. I'll make it up next semester." I was aware of the fact that I sounded desperate. That seemed fitting to me, I was desperate.

"I'm sorry honey, it's just not possible."

Gritting my teeth, I said, "That fine, I understand. Thanks anyway"

I didn't bother waiting for a response; I just turned around and left, hurrying out the door and into my car.

_Well, plan 'A' just got shot down. _

Too bad I didn't have a plan B. Well, at least I wouldn't have to decide on what I was going to do. All I could do, was continue to doing what I've been doing and hope he could control himself.

It took awhile because of the rain but eventually I made it home. When I grabbed my things and stepped out of the car-quickly slamming the door to keep the interior as dry as possible-I discovered that the water was easily a few inches above my ankle.

_Great, I didn't know Forks was prone to floods as well as blizzards, snowstorms and freezing weather_, I thought walking to the porch, counting the steps until I reached the eave that would offer shelter from the rain. I knew better than to run, odds were I'd trip and fall, and either die of a severe concussion or knock myself unconscious and drown in the few inches of water that was presently making my life a living nightmare.

I opened the door and threw my backpack on the couch as I passed the living room; a little quality time with Charlie was probably a good idea. I would work on my homework while he watched the game after supper.

Hoping to divert the coming pneumonia, I hurried upstairs, gathered my clothes and took a hot shower. It was agonizingly slow, but I took the time to blow-dry my hair. I'd always hated it and not just because it seemed to take hours but because, no matter how hard I tried or what products I used, it always frizzed up.

I ran my fingers through my hair one last time, checking to make sure it was dry. I could tell it wasn't pretty by the way it felt brittle and tangled between by fingers. Expecting the worse, I turned to face my reflection in the mirror.

"Fantastic" I groaned, when I saw the disaster my hair had become. I forced my attention away from the fact that it still felt weird, even after all these years, to watch my mouth move and not hear the words I spoke. Instead I focused on trying to think of way to arrange my hair so that I wouldn't look like I escaped a mental institution in the middle of Electro-shock therapy.

It took ten minutes of combing a thick, greasy leave-in-conditioner into the tangled mess, before it looked fairly normal. Throwing the hair-dryer in the trash, I gathered my stuff, double checking to make sure I hadn't left anything behind.

I'd put my bathroom bag in my bedroom closet, and was cleaning the mess I'd made in the bathroom when I felt hard vibrations flow through the floor I was kneeling on.

I didn't bother using my shield, a vampire wouldn't have made vibrations. They moved to fast and too stealthy for that, it had to be Charlie.

I got up and walked to the stairs, calling, "Hey, Dad."

"Hey, Bells," He said, smiling happily.

I briefly wondered at his new mood but shrugged it off. _If he's happy, why question it?_

"What do you want to eat?"

Charlie smiled, "Nothing, I'm going to Billy's. He's cooking fish."

I groaned loud enough for him to hear. I'd learned that routine years ago; Charlie and Billy would bet on sports games, whoever lost had to cook for the winner. And it was always fish, nothing else would do.

The gloating was the worst, the second the winner mentioned it, the loser somehow felt as if he had to defend his manhood by recounting ever single catch he had ever made. It was as nauseating as gym. I'd developed a strategy to deal with it pretty quickly, though; I ran. Usually to the barn with Jake, we could always find something to entertain ourselves with. Even if we didn't do anything but bicker the entire time, it was fun. Especially when compared to the glory wars our respective fathers would engage in.

"Great," I muttered.

I saw him laugh, and tried not to frown. I so wished I could hear him.

I sighed and pushed that to the back of my mind, like I always did; nothing was going to give me my hearing back.

I smiled, "I guess Jake, and I, are going to be mediators tonight."

He laughed again, "Oh, yes. We're leaving in a few minutes if you're ready."

I nodded, thinking that someone being completely unconcerned with driving in pouring rain would only happen in Forks. It was the weirdest place on the planet, after all.

The trip to Billy's didn't take long, even though I heartily wished it would have taken longer. Charlie took the curves at-what seemed to me-to be a dangerous speed, seemingly unconcerned with the rain that reduced visibility to zero. Despite the fact that I possessed a shield that would save me even if we did wreck, I was terrified.

I briefly entertained the idea that maybe I was overreacting because I was a city girl and didn't have much experience driving in the rain?

Two seconds later, I dismissed that thought in favor of the conclusion that Charlie was a maniac; he honestly seemed to love driving at break-neck speeds through the rain.

Ever since the accident that deafened me, I was terrified of having another one. I loved to drive, and didn't fear cars, I did however, tend to freak out when traveling at high speeds, in dangerous conditions. This definitely qualified.

Considering he hadn't ever drove like this before I sent up a silent prayer, pleading that I wouldn't have to ever ride with him, while it was raining, again.

When we made it to the reservation, Charlie climbed out of the car and made a mad dash for Billy's front porch. I didn't move.

I tried, and couldn't. My fingernails had somehow managed to puncture the leather upholstery and wouldn't come out. I tugged and twisted my hand for a few seconds, until I realized that the reason my fingers wouldn't separate themselves from the leather was because I was still trying to squeeze the life out of Charlie's seat.

I took a deep breath, forced my body to relax and gently released the seat. I didn't realize my fingers were numb until I let go, and the blood flow was restored. I flexed my hands a few times until the tingling sparks went away.

Heaving a sigh, I climbed out of the car. How I was going to avoid riding home with him?

Once my feet were on solid ground I really started to relax. Smiling slightly I stepped away from the car and reached my hand out to shut the door.

Suddenly, a large pair of hands gripped my shoulders from behind, with near painful strength.

I spun around as my heart stuttering, and my shield simultaneously exploding towards my irritant. I trapped it just before it connected with his chest, a blow that would have stopped his heart and threw him a few hundred feet.

"Jake," I yelled. "You scared the crap out of me!" _Not to mention you could get hurt by doing shit like that. And I mean 'hurt' in a totally bad, not good, horribly awful kid of way_.

Unconcerned with the threat he wasn't aware of, he laughed and practically slammed the cruiser door. "Wimp," he snickered. "How did you like Charlie's driving?"

Instantly forgetting I was mad at him, I started ranting, "Oh, my God! How could I not know he's a lunatic? That's insane. I've never seen anyone drive like that, not even in the city and the posted speed limit in Phoenix is 80 miles per hour."

Jake threw his head back and laughed, "You're such a baby."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Yeah, I'd like to see you ride with him."

He stopped laughing and mock shuddered, "Not in this lifetime."

"Come on, I just got a new game console; you can help me figure out how to hook it up," he said, turning and walking away.

I stared at his back, _he's kidding... right? _"You aren't serious? I blew up the last one."

He just waived his hand and kept walking. I watched until he disappeared through the door.

_Crap! I hate electrical burns,_ I thought as I followed him.

As it turns out, I didn't fry his game, I was actually more knowledgeable about it than he was. We managed to set it up without any sparks or explosions. And, while Billy cooked and Charlie stood back and told him what he was doing wrong, Jake and I played with his new game unit.

I won three out of six games and was working on the tie breaker when Jake said the food was ready. At the promise of food, we abandoned the game and moved into the kitchen.

Dinner was waiting for us when we arrived. But Charlie was holding his hands a few feet apart and talking animatedly to Billy, I knew those signs; fishing stories. I shuddered and glanced sideways to see Jake looking at me with a horrified expression and gesturing wildly toward the door.

I nodded, smothering a smile. Jake didn't bother hiding his as he turned his attention to the commotion surrounding the kitchen table. I simply stood back and watched as he did his best to sneak up behind them.

Jake was a bigger klutz than I was, but as I watched him I noticed that he moved differently. Fluid, sure movements unhampered by his freakishly large feet.

I studied him closely, positive that this was a new development. He'd tripped three times at the airport alone. My eyes ran from his head to his feet, cataloging differences along the way. He'd grown several inches. Fifteen to twenty pounds heavier, and it wasn't fat; I clearly saw prominent muscles. Muscles that weren't there a week ago, muscles that wouldn't have developed that rapidly without some serious pharmaceutical assistance, no workout program on the planet was that effective.

_Jake isn't stupid or vain enough to mess with steroids. Is he? _

I thought about what I've always know about Jake, his decency, his loyalty, his compassion, his determination, his integrity, his strength of mind, his intelligence, his mischievous sense of humor, his wit, character, every good quality he possessed and the bad ones too.

The answer was immediate and unshakeable; no, Jake wasn't using drugs.

_So what then? What would cause such outstanding changes and what would cause them so fast?_ I tried to think of any other explanation as he stealthily grabbed our plates and glided towards the door, with our fathers none the wiser.

I smiled, despite my worries, as we snuck out of the house. I trailed after him, as he led the way to the garage, still carrying the plates.

The garage seemed more like a manly grunting ground rather than a mechanical structure.

One half was dominated by a barely recognizable car, missing all four wheels, and supported by cement blocks under each corner. It was surrounded by grease spills and blacked parts that didn't distinguish themselves as anything unique. I expected all that.

The other half was where it got weird; it looked like a gym/dining room/lounge. A massive punching bad suspended in mid air by a rusted metal chain that was almost bigger them my arm. A football and various other sports equipment threw carelessly in the corner. An old wooden crate, surrounded by three white lawn chairs, seemed to serve as a table. There was even a mini-fridge tucked behind the crate.

I shook my head, macho, grunt worthy, guy stuff. I shouldn't have even bothered trying to understand it. Although, my spirits were lifted when Jake revealed I was partially correct in my assessment of his guy-space. He walked to the table, placed our plates across from each other, and looted the fridge for sodas.

We ate in companionable silence. Lost in my own thoughts, I didn't pay much attention to what Jake was doing, at least until he smacked my forehead.

I jerked, "What was that for, Butthead?"

He smiled at the name, "You were ignoring me."

I rolled my eyes, "I wasn't ignoring you. I just didn't know you were speaking. I'm deaf, remember moron?"

I watched his eyes narrow and his eyebrows rise in mock irritation, "For your information, I waved to get your attention, but you didn't notice. So I was left to my own devices and it's your own fault you got smacked." He leaned back and crossed his arms, wearing a haughty expression, like he was sure I was incapable of arguing with that convoluted logic.

I simply stared at him, waiting for him to dawn on the fact that he sounded like an imbecile.

Sadly, he didn't. "What were you thinking so hard about anyway?" _What can I say? Jake has never been praised for his attention span._

_How to answer that question? Jake isn't one for subtleties... so directly._ "Jake, are you okay? Health wise, I mean?"

He blinked, evidently not expecting that, "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"I... um... You've changed in the past week, Jake, changed a lot."

He cocked his head to the side inquisitively, "Changed, how?"

"Well,"

_Okay, this was not going the way I pictured; mostly because I hadn't sounded like a nutcase in my head._

"You've grown a lot, you've gained weight, and you look older. It's like you've aged a year since last week, Jake. Are you sure you're okay." I knew I sounded like I'd lost a few marbles, but my Spidey senses were tingling and experience had taught me to pay attention to them. Figuring out what set them off, was rarely easy.

"I'm fine Bella, just a growth spurt. Dad says it runs in the family." He leaned over the table to kiss my forehead lightly. "Don't worry so much, you'll wind up looking like Einstein before you're out of college."

I laughed, remembering when we were ten and Jake dressed-up as Einstein for Halloween because he couldn't find anything scarier looking. Billy had tried to convince him that going as a ghost or an ax murderer would be better, but Jake hadn't thought so. We'd had a lot of fun that year.

"Yeah, wouldn't want to give you more nightmares." I laughed, dodging the punch he threw at my arm.

We stayed in the garage, laughing and goofing off, until Charlie came to get me. It'd taken longer than I'd thought, but they had finally out competed themselves.

It took a little begging and fake pouting before Charlie agreed that I could drive home. As I climbed into the car I saw Jake standing to the side laughing delightedly over my desperate attempt at saving my sanity. Blowing a raspberry in his direction, I carefully backed out, waving at Billy as I went.

Charlie started nodding off before we made it home. I had to nudge him a few times before he was conscious enough to get out of the car and walk inside. Even then, he stumbled and weaved as he did it.

I followed him up the stairs and down the hall to his room careful to support him when he weaved too far. I left him at his bedroom door and ran downstairs to make sure we'd remembered to lock the door. Po-dunk, little, town or not, I wasn't sleeping if the door wasn't bolted.

After sliding the deadbolt into place I went back to Charlie's room to say goodnight and found him asleep, face down on his bed, still wearing his jacket and shoes. I couldn't get the jacket off, but the shoes I could handle.

I removed his shoes as discreetly as possible before I pulled his door closed, and went in search of my own bed. I thought of Jake the entire time.

I didn't know what was going on with him, but it sure wasn't a growth spurt. A small part of my mind, the part that never made any normal, human sense and was never wrong, insisted that, whatever it was, it wasn't anything human.

_But Jake isn't a vampire,_ I insisted mentally, _and what else is there?_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

A storm blew in during the night, making it impossible to sleep. Typically, there was a small amount of motion that existed in everything. Leaves, rocks, dirt. It all had some type of movement occurring constantly. That little bit of movement didn't bother me, I never paid attention to it.

The winds from the storm multiplied that by a thousand. Blowing every leaf, shuffling the grains of sand, and creating more activity than I could ignore or cope with.

I didn't fall asleep until after Charlie left, and slept through my alarm clock. By the time I got up and ready for school, I was dreadfully late.

I rushed to school, hoping I wouldn't run into a cop on my way there. The last thing I needed was for Charlie to find out I was speeding. He'd freak and I'd have to sit through a lecture about driving safely.

I made it to the school safely, only to see that my worries were for nothing. The parking lot was filled with students. There were also several buses lined up in the parking lot. Rather than exiting them, the students were lined up and boarding.

_What's that about? _

My curiosity waned as I pulled into my usual parking spot, and tried to work up the gumption to get out of the car. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep. Maybe my absence would go unnoticed, or maybe Charlie would understand my insomnia and let me off the hook. I wasn't in a good mood, and didn't feel up to facing people today.

The choice was made for me, when a strange boy opened my passenger door and climbed inside.

I'd just opened my mouth to tell him to get the hell out, when he stared speaking. "Hey, Baby. What would it take for you to let me drive your car?" He asked, smiling.

_Call me 'Baby' again and I'll carve it into your forehead, you Jerk, _I thought, replying automatically, "A miracle. Now, get out of my car." I climbed out, and shut the door without waiting for a reply.

My companion followed suit, but, instead of leaving, he walked around the car to meet me.

_Of course, one more person who can't take a hint. _

I ignored him, and used the key-fob to lock the car. The boy tried to talk to me, but I kept my head down and walked around him.

I braved the masses in search of Angela, eventually finding her with the rest of the group. I didn't want to call them 'my' group. Angela was the only one I liked, the rest were barely tolerable.

"What's going on?" I signed, not feeling up to a verbal conversation.

"Field trip. They're taking us to the plant Nursery." She didn't seem enthused about it. Not that I blamed her, a Nursery was a lame idea for a field trip.

"Who's idea was this? Forks is in the middle of a forest. Couldn't we have simply walked outside and gotten the same experience?"

Angela laughed, "Come on, it won't be that bad."

_A trip to look at compost, with my sense of smell, today of all days? She's right, it wouldn't be that bad, it would be worse._

"No, it won't, because I'm going home. I hope you enjoy your trip, goodbye."

Angela caught my arm as I turned to leave. "Oh, please don't do that? This trip's going to suck enough as it is, you have to come. Please, please please? You're one of the few people who are genuinely nice to me. Please?" Her expression was heartbreaking. I felt my resolve waver.

_No, bad Bella. Tired, bad mood, and people, not a good combo, remember?_

I glanced at Angela, she pouted, "Pretty please?"

_Dammit, I shouldn't have looked. _"How am I supposed to say no to that?" I sighed.

She grinned, "You're not. That's the point."

I grudgingly got in line with Angela, wondering if I was expected to have a permission slip.

Mr. Varner, the school principal, was keeping track of who boarded the bus. He merely took our names and told us to find a seat. _Maybe they don't worry about the little things here. Little things like liability, and getting sued. _

I followed Angela to the back of the bus, taking a seat beside her, in the last row. I liked that; no need to monitor who was sitting behind me. I didn't see humans as a genuine threat anymore, but the compulsion to watch my back was deeply ingrained from years of living in a big city. Nothing about Phoenix was safe, least of all, the schools, or the students in those schools. It was necessary to watch everyone. Especially when you were perceived as weaker than everyone else, you seemed like an easy target.

Angela was quick to grab my attention, "I need some advice."

"About what?."

She grimaced, "About what it's like to be deaf."

"Okay," I nodded.

"I don't mean to be insensitive, my brother's having issues, I just want to try and understand what it's like, if I can. Well, I know I can't understand without being deaf myself, but I'd like to try. He's going through so much, and I don't know anyone else who might take the time to..."

I cut her off, "Breathe. Relax. Shut up. It's fine, you can ask whatever you want. I'll try to explain as best I can. Okay?"

"Okay," She smiled. "I really appreciate this."

"You're welcome," I said, "Now, tell me about your brother. How old is he, when did he lose his hearing, and what 'issues' is he having?"

"Well, he's 13, he was born deaf, and he gets angry over the smallest thing, saying that no one understands what he goes through every day. He has fits where he screams and throws things. Locks himself in his room for hours at a time, doesn't eat."

I waited, hoping she's elaborate on what precipitated his anger. She didn't. "First of all, he's 13. That's important for two reasons. One: no 13 year old, deaf or not, thinks anyone in the world understands him or her, that's normal. Though, in his case he'll never completely outgrow it, because he's right. That leads us to reason number two: Unless you, yourself, are deaf... you can't begin to imagine what it's like. How isolating it is, or how frustrating. More to the point, he doesn't understand; That, in itself, is lonely."

She frowned, "What do you mean, 'he doesn't understand'?"

I paused, H_ow to explain_? "What's your favorite type of music?"

"What does that have to do with my brother being deaf?"

I sighed, "We're getting to that part. Trust me."

She huffed. "Alternative Rock, I guess."

"Okay, now tell me why you like it. Ignore the lyrics, and describe the music itself, I want to hear about the melody."

She thought for a moment, "The beat. The way the drums thump, the bass behind it, it's exciting. And the electric guitar, the way it sounds when they're playing opposite each other. Two distinct sounds, complimenting each other, combining to create an entirely new sound, new chords."

I smiled, Angela evidently liked her music, she really got into the description. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. Nothing you just said, means anything to me. The words drums, bass, electric guitar, chords; I can't fathom their meaning. I have no idea what drums sound like, neither does your brother. I've talked to people, asked them what music sounds like. No one was able to describe it in a way I could understand. You used the word 'thump', I don't know what a 'thump' sounds like. I don't know what music is, I barely comprehend the concept. You might as well have been speaking another language."

I paused, trying to think of a way to explain what that felt like. "I was seven when I lost my hearing, I don't remember much of anything before that. One of the few things I can clearly recollect is Clair De Lune. I remember that song, and the different sounds that created it. That gives me some idea what 'rock music' might be. Your brother doesn't even have that, he's never heard even one sound in his entire life. He can't even understand of what 'sound' is."

"But I've heard people say that the deaf 'hear' through vibrations. Isn't that similar, can't he feel the music, at least?"

I shook my head, "It doesn't work like that. Vibrations can be felt, but not heard. For me, vibrations are... sort of a warning system. They don't tell me what's happening, just that 'something' is."

"When I lived in Phoenix, my house was a few miles into the desert. So the vibrations came from what was happening inside my own home, they weren't constant like they would have been in the city. Doors opening and closing, someone walking across the floor, just about everything causes small vibrations. If I pay attention, they can sometimes tell me things, like when someone is walking up behind me, or when someone is in the next room. It's something to be ignored most of the time, but when I feel a hard, vibration... Maybe 'strong' would be a better word,―When I feel a strong vibration, I know something unusual is happening. It doesn't take the place of hearing, but, sometimes, it can help."

I paused, thinking of an example I could give her. "A few years ago, I was in my room, reading, and felt several, quick, hard vibrations. My mom had fallen down the stairs and broken her leg. The vibrations didn't tell me that she'd fallen, just that something odd had happened. If I hadn't felt the vibrations, and searched for the source, she could have laid there for hours before I found her. Vibrations are helpful to a deaf person, they do not take the place of our lost hearing."

"Okay, I can understand that."

"What next," I wondered aloud. "Sight! It's the most dominant sense I have. My entire world is a visual one. Right now, you see what's in front of you, but you hear what's going on, as well. See look there," I pointed towards the front of the bus, where Mike was standing in his seat. "I have no idea why he's doing that. It makes no sense to me. I see him standing there, and I see Jessica talking, but I see the side of her face. I can't tell what she's saying, so I don't understand. I can't take part in the joke, or the laughter. If they discuss it later, I won't know that this is what they're talking about. I imagine it's the same for your brother."

"I'm not someone who would want to take part in that, but your brother might be. This might be something he would want to be included in, and he can't. My best friend 'Jake' lives on the reservation, and he's very considerate about my disability, always has been. But, sometimes, when we hang out with his friends, he'll get to talking with them, and he forgets that I can't hear. He'll turn his head, or do something that causes me to loose track of what's going on. Then he turns to me, wanting my opinion, or to ask a question, and my only options are to admit I'm lost, which is humiliating, or lie and still feel like a shmuck. To work so hard, and still miss things, things that everyone else can keep up with effortlessly, feels like being left behind. Not to mention, the more one can't participate, the more one tries, and the more one fails. It's very frustrating. I've long since accepted the fact that I'm deaf, so it doesn't bother me anymore, it's just something I have to live with."

"I don't think my brothers accepted it." She sighed, "Maybe, he just needs something to cheer him up. There's a new action movie premiering in Port Angeles, I could take him to see it."

_Not a good idea. "_I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

"Why not," she asked, frowning.

"Because movies are just one more thing he can't appreciate to the fullest. You'll just remind him of that."

"I know he can't hear it, but he can read the subtitles."

"Exactly my point. You can't watch the movie and read at the same time, your attention has to be one one or the other."

"Okay, so what can I do?"

"My advise is to find something that would be helped by his lack of hearing."

"I'm more confused now, than when we started this conversation. What do you mean by that?"

I laughed. "Being deaf isn't always a disability, sometimes it gives us an advantage over everyone else. Non-hearing people have a stronger sense of smell, touch, even eye sight. Try competitive shooting, I hear that's popular here. The deaf tend to excel in the arts, see if he'd like to paint. "

Angela looked uncertain, "I don't know, my father doesn't allow him to go anywhere near guns."

"So choose something else, those aren't the only two things he could do. With a little technical assistance, a deaf person can do almost everything a hearing person can do."

Angela nodded. "I'll talk to my family, we'll find something."

Our conversation ended there. Angela sat back, and stared into space. I turned to the window, and tried to stay awake.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The nursery was exactly as I expected. The students were anything but what I expected. I assumed they'd be bored during this 'field trip', they weren't. They ran around like psychopaths, leaping over rows of plants, throwing dirt at each other.

The teachers alternated between swallowing large amounts of Advil, and chasing the students while waving rulers like maniacs.

I was hanging back, trying to avoid the chaos, when I noticed the Cullen's.

Edward, Alice, and Jasper. They were huddled together, talking amongst themselves. I tried to read their lips, but couldn't. They were talking at vampire speed. Their lips were moving so fast they were nothing more than a blur.

I continued to watch them until Alice caught me staring. She smiled, and raised her hand in a small wave.

I simply nodded in return, then diverted my eyes to watch the savages torture the teachers.

_This is going to be a long day._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

In time, Mr. Varner rallied the teachers, and set about recapturing the children.

After only a half hour of failed attempts, they regained control. As much as I'd enjoyed watching them slowly loose their sanity, I was glad they'd succeeded. I wanted this done with as soon as possible.

I didn't like Mr. Varner. He had a superior attitude that annoyed me. Just watching him lecture the other students wore on my last nerve.

Once the lecture was over, he lined the students up, and gave them their assignments. I watched from afar, hoping he'd forget I existed.

Once he was done with everyone else, he waved me over. _I should have know; it was too much to hope for._

"Miss Swan, you're partnered with Mr. Cullen," He gestured to my left.

_Cullen? _I turned to see Edward standing beside me. _Why aren't I surprised?_

"Here are your papers. Each one contains information on a specific plant. You need to read the clues, and then find the plant by comparing the clues with the plant details posted at the end of every row. You must do the work with your partner. You may not spit up, for any reason, doing so will result in an F. And remember, this counts toward your final grade." _Oh, what fun!_

Mr. Varner left after asking if we understood the rules.

I read the info quickly, then looked at Edward, "How do you want to do this?"

He frowned, "What do you mean?"

I sighed, "Do you want to work on them too?" He was scowling before I finished.

"I wouldn't make you do all the work," He snapped.

"I didn't mean to insult you. I meant that I already know the answers, I should have been clearer about that. My apologies." I handed him the papers, waiting for his decision.

Instead of saying something, he read from the papers, "Ethnobotanic: Used for : Landscaping, Medicinal, Culinary. Seeds used to treat: headaches, stomatitis, heart and kidney problems, ceremonial medicines, perfume, additives to tobacco, etc. Growing from the caudex. Compound leaves are distinctly divided into obovate leaflets."

He just looked at me for a moment, before nodding and walking off.

I kept pace with him as he found the first plant, as we made our way to the second he looked up at me, "How did you know the answers?"

"My mom dated a Botany professor for a while," I shrugged.

He nodded solemnly, "I take it you picked up a few things."

"Yeah. Surprised the hell out of me. I spent most of my time, while in his company, trying to turn him into a Tree Sloth with my awesome mental powers."

"Why a Tree Sloth" He asked, laughing.

I rolled my eyes, smiling conspiratorially, "It seemed like the only creature on the planet that might, possibly, have been more boring than he was."

"Did it work?" I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic, making fun of my sarcasm, or just making small talk. Whatever the reason, hanging out with the vampire, even if said vampire was gorgeous and intriguing, was a dangerous thing to do.

"Sadly no. But it didn't matter, he didn't last long." _Should I not have said that? Did I just imply Mom's a slut? _

Edward seemed oblivious to my internal panic, "Why not?"

_Is he ever going to shut up? _He'd already found two of the three plants... I stumbled. He'd known where they were! He'd found two of the three, in two minutes. I thought back, trying to remember the paths we'd taken from one plant to another.

_Dammit! _He'd definitely known the paths! We'd walked straight to them, no detours, or unnecessary turns. He walked there, then continued on to the next plant. The first building was out of our sight, so even his vampire sight wouldn't have helped him read the info, he couldn't see through the building. He may have even recognized what plants were needed from the clues, but how did he know where they were? I seriously doubted he frequented a plant nursery for fun.

_Adonis is even weirder than I thought. Is he gifted? And if so, does that gift give him any insight into my abilities, or my knowledge? _

Edward had stopped a few steps ahead, he was staring at me. "Are you alright?"

I scowled, "Yes, I just realized something."

His looked confused, but didn't ask. "You don't have to answer if you don't want too." 

_Really, I wasn't aware I needed your permission for that! Am I ever going to catch a freaking break with these creatures?_

I quickly caught up with him, walking at his side as he led us to the last plant. "I'm sorry, what was the question?

"Why didn't the Botanist last long?"

"Oh, he was a boring jerk, who thought he was smarter than everyone else and couldn't keep his mouth shut for more than ten seconds at a time. My mom was willing to look past his faults, right up until he thought he had the right to discipline me."

Edward stopped walking, and turned to me. "He tried to hurt you?" _Is it my imagination, or is he irrationally upset about that? _

"No, he just thought it was okay to act like my father, forbid me from doing things he didn't approve of. My mom, who is normally the most gentle person you can imagine, well she... lets just say she let him know that was not okay. I've never been more proud of her."

He frowned for a moment. "How old are you, Bella?"

_What an odd question. _"Seventeen. Why?"

He shook his head slightly, regarding me thoughtfully. "You don't seem seventeen."

I laughed.

"What's funny," He asked.

I smiled, genuinely this time. "My Mom says I was born thirty years old, and I just get more middle aged every year." My smile fell as I spoke. I was really beginning to miss her.

We didn't speak for a few minutes, just walked side by side. I didn't know where we were going, but I'd bet he did.

Edward turned so I could read his lips, without stopping, or even slowing. "What's your mother like?"

I smiled, "She looks a lot like me, but she's prettier. I have to much Charlie in me," I explained. "She's much more outgoing than I am, and braver. She's slightly eccentric, highly unpredictable, and very adventurous." I paused, thinking of her daredevil stunts, and her cooking. "She's also a very inventive cook," I said, sighing. "She's my best friend."

"Do you wish you could be with her?"

_Again with the weird questions? _"In a way, yes. I miss her a great deal, and I worry about her. But it's best that we're separated for now. She's happier being able to spend time alone with Phil. And Charlie needs me more than she does." I frowned, I'd been far too honest with my answer.

I wondered what Edward thought of my response, did he know there was hidden meaning behind it?

"Can I ask what might me a personal question?"

_I wish you wouldn't. _"Sure," I replied, despite myself.

"Why does Charlie need you?"

_Ah, you idiot. _"I know Charlie, despite the fact that we haven't spent a lot of time with each other. He regrets the fact that he hasn't been able to be the typical father. That he hasn't gotten to actually raise me. He wants the chance to do the father/daughter thing."

_When did this conversation get so uncomfortable? One minute I was making small talk with my enemy, and the next I've somehow managed to wonder into a verbal mine field._

He nodded thoughtfully, "I can see why your mom calls you middle aged. You're very mature."

It was definitely time to end this conversation, "You know, that's really strange coming from someone who can't be much older than I am."

"Yes... Well." He paused, watching me silently for a moment, then he turned and walked away.

_Ha! That was easier than I thought. _

Edward found the last plant, and delivered our results to Mr. Varner. After checking our results he walked away, leaving Edward and I standing there.

_This is destined to become an awkward moment. _Intending to avoid Edward, I nodded in his direction as I walked away.

I didn't have a destination in mind, I just needed get away from the vampire.

I worried why he was having these friendly little chats with me. That wasn't his normal behavior. The entire Cullen family, with the exception of Carlisle, avoided contact with humans. They did such a through job of it that everyone thought they were snobs. Why would he alter his normal routine in order to talk to me?

I looked for somewhere to go, someplace where I could hide from Edward. I spotted a small group of students lined up to take a tour of the nursery. I got in line behind them, pretending as if I'd intended to do that all along.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Once the tour was over, we were put back on the buses and moved to a small bed and breakfast for lunch.

_Can it be called a 'Bed and Breakfast' if we're only going to be eating, and not sleeping?_

The teachers watched as we were herded into the dining hall, then separated themselves from us students. The warned everyone that any misbehavior would be severely punished, then disappeared into, what I assumed, was the kitchen. Not that I blamed them, they had to be exhausted. As was I.

Pretending I'd come up with the idea on my own, and wasn't lame enough to copy the ass-faced teachers, I found a quiet corner and pulled my favorite Jane Austin book out of my backpack.

Mr, Darcy was just about to pull his head out of his ass, when I felt something moving incredibly fast. I noted the direction, it was coming towards me. Or the B&B, I couldn't predict it's destination, it could be either one.

That conclusion made sense, especially considering I was in the B&B. I surrounded myself with my shield and waited so see where the vampire was going.

I sighed, I'd imagined life would be simpler here, it wasn't. I'd imagined that any sign of a vampire would mean a probable attack, it didn't. There were too many vampires here. So many people to watch out for. So many possibilities.

I'd largely discounted the Cullens as a imminent threat, they seemed to be interested only in staying under the radar and living their lives. Which didn't mean I could relax my guard, I had too much to protect. But maybe I could stop paying so much damned attention to them. Believe it or not, there were other things I'd rather be doing.

The vampire speeding toward me, or rather, us, suddenly slowed as he reached the entrance to the B&B.

I kept my head down, as if I were still reading my book, and covertly watched the door.

Less than a second later, Jasper casually walked in. Appearing, for all intents and purposes, human.

_See, nothing to freak out over, just another bloodsucker inadvertently screwing with my life._

I continued to watch him, as he made his way over to where Edward and Alice were sitting. He shoved Edward aside and took the seat across from his mate. I watched them, as they engaged in a mock fight, impressed with their charade. If I didn't know they were vampires, I wouldn't have thought anything was amiss with them. They played their parts extremely well.

Edward looked up, and said something to Alice that made her reach over and smack him on the arm. He laughed and smiled the most breathtakingly beautiful smile I'd ever seen. That was the first time I'd seen him truly smile. My heart kicked and started doing summer salts in my chest.

Before I could understand what what meant, Alice suddenly froze, her entire body tensing up. Jasper immediately grasped her hand and stared at her worriedly. Edward simply frowned, and stared at Alice.

Suddenly, Alice snapped her head to the side and stared at Lauren Mallory. She snapped out of it, and started whispering to Jasper. Before I knew it, they'd all disposed of their untouched plates and were headed for the door.

Seconds before they reached it, several students suddenly stood up to my left and Mr. Varner ran towards them. I glanced over, only to see that Lauren was grasping a broken cup in her hand, and bleeding profusely.

Astounded, I turned back to watch the vampires disappeared through the door.

Fighting the urge to vomit, I realized three very horrible things.

One: Alice Cullen was a freaking Psychic!

Two: I had a crush on Edward freaking Cullen!

And Three: I was slowly turning into my freaking mother!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

I was still kicking myself when I woke up.

I was seventeen years old, and never, not even once, had I had romantic feelings toward anyone. I'd assumed that was just part of my abnormalities.

Now, I wasn't so sure. Maybe I just hadn't met the right freaking bloodsucker yet.

_Why is this happening to me? _

It wasn't fair. I'd done everything I could to help my family, now my stupid hormones were sabotaging me.

_Stupid, masochistic, confused, hormones._ _Can't you even tell the difference between human and vampire? The parasite you're going nuts over probably isn't even a boy. Hell, I bet he's older than Charlie. How gross can you get? _

_As if that wasn't good enough, you're now making me copy Renee's boneheaded move. You're slowly morphine me into my mother! Do you have any idea how cruel that is?_

I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, in favor of another, even worse topic.

_Psychic! How and I supposed to compete with a psychic? How am I supposed to hide from that? Does she see everyone's future, or does she have to specifically look? Is she automatically going to see it if I do something odd, like using my telekinesis? How far into the future can she see? Has she already seen be doing something, that I haven't even done yet? _

I agonized over how to avoid her disastrous, to me, talent. I couldn't see our futures being predetermined. There had to be some amount of choice involved in our lives. Otherwise, what was the point. It made no sense that we would lack the choice to improve our lives, or to work hard to accomplish our goals, if nothing we did was going to effect our lives.

Operating under the assumption that choice mattered, then I had to be very careful about what I did, and said. No telekinesis, no writing anything she might see. Not that I spent a lot of time blogging about my parasitic mother and her hardheaded husband, but still.

I would have to monitor everything I did, every reaction, so that I wouldn't inadvertently give myself away.

As things stood, I didn't think they suspected anything. Hopefully, that meant my future wouldn't... pop on her radar.

I would have to avoid Edward at all costs. If she could control her visions, she would almost certainly use them to look out for her family. That meant I would have to avoid all contact with them.

Considering I shared a Biology class with him, I would have to avoid them as much as possible.

_Great time to start crushing like a school girl, idiot._

I mentally berated myself until it was time for school. I got ready in record time, and went downstairs to see that Charlie was gone, as usual.

I made sure to lock the door and replace the key, before I left. I was a city girl to the bone, and didn't feel comfortable leaving the door unlocked.

School was tedious, but I kept myself busy by mentally abusing myself. Maybe that would be enough to snap me out of this self destructive streak.

It was Friday, for Gods sake. I should be excited about the weekend. But no, I was studiously ignoring a certain vampire, while trying to keep an eye on his family through my telekinesis, without actually looking at them. The psychic vampire might see me looking, and that wouldn't be good.

_Could my day possibly get any worse?_

Of course, since I'd asked, the fates had to ensure that it would. I knew I shouldn't have thought that.

I was staring into the only empty corner of the room, trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone, when Jessica practically pulled Ben by his arm, right into my line of sight.

I started to look away, to find something inanimate to stare at, but stopped when she ran her hand down his arm and tried to hold his hand.

_What a bitch!_

I glanced away from the scene as a whole, and focused solely on her lips. Not that I needed too, the body language was extremely clear. People lied all the time, pretended to be comfortable, or that they liked the person they were talking to. Their body language never, ever lied. It was an unconscious reaction to their true feelings. 'Ben, would you like to be my date for the dance?'

I switched my gaze to him, 'Thanks, but I'd rather just go with the group.' He said, tugging at his hand gently.

I watched as Jessica's face twisted into an expression that could only be interpreted as cruel, 'You know she won't ask you. She thinks she's too good for you.'

He turned, staring at Angela, 'She's right.'

I paid for lunch, mentally going over every prank I'd ever heard of. Jessica was a vicious slut, she deserved a little payback. Or a lot of payback.

She knew Ben was Angela's, and she certainly didn't have any sincere interest in him. She'd thrown herself at him purposefully to hurt Angela. Why anyone would want to hurt someone like Angela was beyond me, but she was going to pay for it.

I sat beside Angela. The angel rescued me from Mike, yet again. With her on one side, and Jessica on the other, I was left to glare intermittently at Jessica.

It was a great plan, at least until Jessica rudely elbowed me, quite painfully I might add. I glared at her, silently asking what that was for.

In typical, false Jessica fashion, she smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard, are you okay?"

"Fine," I muttered, staring at her disbelievingly. Why let her believe I was stupid enough to buy that. "What do you want?"

She actually had the nerve to look hurt, "I just wanted to say how nice it is that you're going with us to Port Angeles tomorrow."

_Watch out world, Jessica actually has a talent._ If I hadn't known better, I would've believed I was being unjustly rude to her.

"That's it?" I muttered, rubbing my arm.

"I just thought I'd be nice, there's no need to bite my head off for it." With that, she turned around and started talking to Lauren, effectively ending our conversation.

I turned to Angela and signed, "What was that all about?"

She just rolled her eyes, and signed back, "She thinks you are trying to steal Mike from her."

I laughed, _Mike, seriously?_ _The troglodyte, with B.O., and a personality disorder. The one who's scent makes me want to gag. _

"Mike Newton, the same Mike who stalks me, the same Mike I can't stand? That Mike?" I almost laughed again, the idea was preposterous. If she wasn't such a man stealing bitch she might see that for herself. Anyone with even remedial comprehension skills could tell I loathed Mike.

She simply nodded, "That very same. That's why I wanted you to go with us to Port Angeles, my parents won't let me go alone and I didn't want to be trapped with them." I easily understood that; vipers had kinder personalities than those two.

I'd seen posters about the dance and even seen other students discussing various things about it, but for the first time I was actually curious. "Have you asked anyone?"

"No, I'm just going with a group." She blushed and looked like she'd rather be anywhere else but here. Normally I'd identify with her and let the subject drop, but not this time.

"Is Ben included in the word 'Group'?"

She blushed again, "Is it that obvious that I like him?"

I laughed as I leaned over to hug her, "Yes, it is exactly that obvious. But it is also obvious that he likes you too."

"He could have any girl in this school, why would he want me? Besides I bet he would go with anyone who asked him." She signed, looking down as if she were ashamed.

_Stupid girl!_

"How about the fact that he's constantly sending you these sad, longing looks whenever you aren't looking? How about the fact that he thinks you're the prettiest, smartest girl in this school? How about the fact that he thinks you don't want him because he sees you as perfect and doesn't think he's worthy of you. Just like you don't think you are worthy of him. How about the fact that the both of you are going with this idiot group because the other one is? Now if he isn't brave enough to ask you, then you need to be brave enough to ask him because he's miserable."

She stared at me, her mouth slightly open. "But,"

I cut her off, "But nothing. If I wasn't positive of this I wouldn't risk hurting the only friend I've got in this place. If you need more proof, I saw him say those same things to Jessica, five minutes ago, when she asked him to go with her."

_That wasn't, technically a lie. Just a little artistic interpretation. _

She stared off into space for a moment before turning back to her lunch, as if our conversation never happened. I'd done what I could, it was up to her now.

I played with my food, moving it around and tearing it to pieces. I didn't like to think about actually consuming it. It was more natural looking than anything I'd seen here so far, but I wasn't feeling well.

How could I be feeling anything but crappy? I was crushing on a vampire, and didn't have a clue what to do about it.

It seems as if only seconds had passed when the bell rang, signaling lunch was over and it was back to Biology. I was halfway between the cafeteria and the Biology building when I saw Angela talking quietly with Ben.

They were standing sideways, facing each other so I couldn't read their lips, but I was skilled at reading body language. Perhaps watching them would be enough to comprehend the gist of their conversation.

Angela moved back and forth, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and repeatedly clasped and unclasped her hands, while somehow managing to simultaneously press them against her stomach. _This is good. _She was nervous and talking to Ben at the same time.

Ben didn't look much calmer; he was blushing profusely, and smiling like a lunatic at the same time.

_Yes, Yes! She's doing it._ I resisted the urge to clap my hands, and jump around like a cheerleader. The smile, on the other hand, wouldn't be suppressed.

I watched, as they talked back and forth for a few minutes, each of them seeming more nervous as the seconds ticked by. But near the end of their conversation, each of them smiled widely at each other and nodded frantically.

"He said yes! He said yes," I chanted to myself, irrationally excited for them. I watched Angela step backwards, away from Ben. This time I could read their lips, "Well, I'm going to... "She gestured behind her.

He nodded, "Yeah, me too."

They stood there, staring at each other, before they simultaneously said "Bye," turned around and walked off, in opposite directions.

_Too bad they were walking in the wrong direction for their classes_, I mentally slapped their foreheads.

They seemed to realize their mistake milliseconds after I did; they spun around and smiled sheepishly at each other as they passed. Each of them flushed bright red as they realized the other had caught their slip.

My smile grew wider as I watched them until they walked out of sight; I'd done a good thing, even if I did have to meddle in order to get it done.

Whatever. It was still a nice way to thank Angela for being the one person in this entire town who was genuinely nice to me.

Still smiling, I turned -intending to try and make it to biology before I got detention- and ran into a stone wall, or at least it felt that way. I knew it wasn't really a wall, I just wished it was.

I used my shield to protect me from potential fractures as I stumbled backwards.

Embarrassed, I didn't attempt to adjust my ungraceful position on the wet grass. Simply opening my eyes and looking through the hair that had fallen to cover my eyes.

_Please don't be Edward, Please don't be Edward..._

I mentally high fived by guardian angel when I brushed the hair out of my eyes and saw none other than Emmett Cullen smiling down at me, like I'd lost my mind. Not that Emmett was any better; one vampire's just as bad as the next but the idiot, teenage girl part of me was extremely happy it hadn't been Edward who witnessed my humiliation.

Blushing, I tried to get-up gracefully. It just didn't work that way; the second I got my feet underneath me I slipped and fell again. I saw him laugh delightedly at my predicament, and while I was used to it, I didn't like it. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," I said sincerely, hoping he would take the hint and leave.

I abandoned that hope when he laughed as he leaned over and grabbed my biceps, easily lifting me and setting me on my feet. "I don't get that often," He chuckled as he let me go, leaving me surprised at his behavior. He acted way too familiar for someone who just met me.

I recovered quickly and smiled wryly as I looked him up and down, "I would imagine not."

I ignored him as he laughed again -reinforcing my impression that he would be fun to irritate- and started picking the dead leaves off my clothes. There wasn't anything I could do about the wet spots that covered my entire pants leg. It looked like they'd decided to absorb everything in their path when I fell. Not the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to me, but it wasn't exactly my most graceful moment either.

I froze when he started plucking leaves out of my hair but after a second, when he didn't seem threatening and simply kept trying to remove the leaves, I relaxed. Bending my head to make it easier for him to see, not that he needed the help. He was huge, even bigger up close, he probably had trouble breathing at that height.

_Good thing vampires don't need to breathe. Crap, I need to get away from him, why is he being nice to me? Shouldn't he avoid me like every other human? This is not good!_

When he leaned back, I assumed he was through, and raised my head just in time to see him finish saying something.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that? I'm deaf and I need to see your lips as you speak." I blushed a little as I spoke, wishing, for the millionth time, that I wasn't deaf. It would make my life so much easier.

"Sorry," He murmured. "I forgot about that. I was just commenting that you seem to fall a lot." He grinned like he was teasing me. I cocked my head to the side, studying him; could he really be joking with me?

_Forget that, how did he know I fell a lot? Were they watching me? _

I didn't immediately register his words, but when I did, I blushed and looked down, "Yeah, I do. But it's not my fault; gravity just doesn't like me."

He threw his head back and laughed, and I would have sworn that I felt my chest vibrate from his laugh.

_Although, on second thought, I probably did; as big as he is, I imagine his laugh would be deep and loud._

When he stopped laughing, he looked down at me, still smiling and asked, "Where's your next class?"

"Biology, with Mr. Banner," I answered, wondering why he wanted to know.

He smiled again, a sly smile that made me nervous. I wasn't afraid; he didn't smile like that. Instead it was a mischievous smile that meant he was up to something. "That's close by, I'll take you."

He moved to fast, not vampire fast but still faster than most humans could, bending down he grabbed both my legs in one massive hand and threw me, upside down, over his shoulder.

I felt us moving as I struggled, knowing that without my telekinesis I wouldn't be able to make him do anything. "Hey, put me down."

I felt his back rumble, and knew he was laughing at me. I tried to be mad, but it was kind of fun and I was positive that he was just playing with me so I couldn't summon even the smallest degree of anger. Underneath the fun was worry, why was he paying attention to me? "Stupid, Lumberjack," I muttered, snickering.

I felt his back rumble, where my face pressed against it.

After a few seconds, I muttered. "I'm starting to get sick. So, unless you want to get puked on, put me down." Which wasn't a complete lie, I was starting to feel light headed, but I wasn't that close to puking either, so maybe just a little fib. Not even a fib if you consider the fact that it would be true in the future, so it was just a prophetic statement.

_There, I like that one. That's what we'll go with._

I felt hands grasp my sides and lift me off his shoulder.

He set me on my feet, gently. Keeping his hands on my sides until I'd steadied myself, "You shouldn't be such a wimp, besides we're here." He delivered the 'wimp' comment with a haughty smile.

I stuck my tongue out at him, "Stupid Lumberjack."

He mimicked my expression; sticking his tongue out.

Suddenly, he froze and glanced toward the biology room door, "Nice to meet you, but my sister is waiting for me. I have to go," he said through his teeth, his eyes flashing from honey-gold to deep black.

I instantly tensed, and prepared to defend myself should he attempt anything, which I fully expected him to do. I saw that same look on Laurent's face when he smelled Renee's blood. It meant that he'd smelled something very enticing from my biology room, and it did not bode well for any humans in the area.

_Screw hiding, I wasn't letting him slaughter a bunch of helpless kids. _

I used my shield to cover the surrounding classrooms, and rooted myself in place. I fully expected to have to fight and maybe even kill this bearlike vampire, But instead of attacking, or growling, or doing something even remotely threatening, he turned swiftly and walked towards the forest outlining the school grounds a few dozen yards away.

Astounded, I stared at his retreating back, monitoring his every breath with my telekinesis. Or I would have monitored his breath, if he'd been breathing.

He even had the control to move at a somewhat human speed until he reached the forest's edge. The second he was no longer visible, I felt his speed increase significantly until he was out of my range a half second later.

_He's going to hunt! He has the control to hold his breath, against whatever tempted him, and run to the forest in order to hunt animals, instead of the humans! Absolutely incredible! _Phil wouldn't even have been able to do that, not that easily anyway.

I waited a few minutes, to see if his control would snap, motoring every square inch my telekinesis would reach, waiting for any movement that wasn't normal. Or human, I should say human, as vampires are much more normal for my life than they should be. My life has revolved around them for almost a three years now, in one way or another.

I marveled at the lumberjack, as I made my way into the classroom oblivious to the fact that I was arriving twenty minutes late. I didn't pay attention to anything or anyone, simply acting on auto pilot.

Halfway to my table, my stomach rolled and my legs refused to support me.

I sank to the floor as my mind came back to reality. The first thing I became aware of was the smell... Rust and salt, a more disgusting scent couldn't possibly exist. The second I realized what was happening, I clamped my hand over my nose and mouth and pressed my other hand to my chaotic stomach.

From my position, kneeling on the floor, I looked up and saw several students and Mr. Banner staring at me worriedly, while surrounded my wet, bloody cards. Of course; they were blood typing, which also explained the Lumberjacks reaction. Which was even more impressive now that I knew it was actual blood that he'd scented. The control it must have taken to turn his back on that... incredible!

'Are you alright, Miss Swan?' Mr. Banner asked.

_I'm kneeling on the floor, shaking, sweating, pale as a ghost and holding my breath, does anything about my current condition suggest to you that I am 'all right'?_

Instead of voicing my thoughts, I murmured, "I already know my blood type, Mr. Banner." I could feel sweat building on my face and arms, my skin felt cold even as my body seemed to burn.

I was still staring at Mr. Banner, trying not to breathe, so I saw him say, "Mr. Newton, please take Miss Swan to the nurses office, but come right back; you aren't getting out of class."

I opened my mouth to tell him that I could do it myself, but Mike had already taken by backpack and was wrapping my arm around his shoulders in order to pull me off the floor.

_Why Mike of all people, why did it have to be him? Anyone would be better, James even; at least I could kill him. _

I didn't breathe again until the classroom door closed behind us, only when I was sure I couldn't smell the blood anymore did I allow my body the oxygen it desperately insisted on.

As Mike towed me slowly across the school grounds I focused on breathing evenly and getting my feet back beneath me.

By the time we made it around the corner of the Spanish building and out of sight of the Biology room, I was able to move under my own power. Even if it was a struggle to take each step and my legs trembled as I did it. I would deal with anything if it meant getting Newton's hands off me.

I pushed Mike away stumbled to the sidewalk, not even bothering to expend the strength it would take to sit, instead I just allowed my knees to give way and plopped ungracefully to the ground.

"Are you okay, Bella? You look green." Mike sputtered, nervously.

The miniscule amount of strength I'd been able to recover seemed to seep away as he spoke, and I slumped to the side; abandoning my somewhat dignified position for the embarrassment of ease. Holding myself up was just too much. I didn't know if my weakness was due to a miscalculated recovery or the possibility that Mike was making me sicker than normal.

I wanted it to be Mikes fault, but mentally I knew that it was that those few steps had pushed my weakened body too far, too soon. "I'm fine Mike; I just need a few minutes." I tried to make my voice sound like one of authority, but it felt it come out as a whisper. I turned my head, where it lay on the sidewalk, so that my cheek would press against the cold, wet concrete. "You can go back to class; I'll be fine in a minute." _Please, please, please go away?_ I don't think his presence was helping me any; even his smell nauseated me.

I jerked when I felt warm fingers brushing the hair out of my face. Anger bubbled up and I slapped his hand away. "I'm fine Mike; I just need to rest for a minute." I opened my eyes and glared at him.

I wasn't surprised to see Mike kneeling beside me, his face a scant three inches from mine. I expended the rest of my near non-existent energy supply to move away from him careful to keep my face against the concrete. Mike was still bleeding and every breath I took made it harder to stay conscious.

I watched Mike carefully, noting when his expression changed from worried to angry. At that moment I was glad my shield was already in place. Normally I wouldn't bother wasting it on someone like Newton, but in my weakened condition, I could barely raise my head.

Mike opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and glanced up and to the left. Wondering what had distracted him, I followed his gaze.

_Crap, just my luck; I'm weak for the first time in since I came here and who happens to find me, a vampire. One of the very same vampires who've made my life a virtual cage since I came here._

I literally couldn't do anything for fear they would see or hear, now when I'm at my weakest they manage to find me.

I watched Edwards as he jogged across the parking lot at a human speed. It struck me as surreal, watching him move so slowly, for a vampire anyway, I'd grown accustomed to Phil defying the laws of Physics, seeing someone capable of doing the same thing hurrying at such a slow pace was slightly humorous. On second thought, it may have been the frustrated look on his face that made me want to smile.

I stared into his eyes, as he slowed to a stop and started speaking to Mike. The concern and sadness there affected me more than I was comfortable with. I wanted to comfort him somehow, do something to make him feel better. _What is it about this boy that gets to me_; I questioned myself before my world went black.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

_Blood, so much blood. Everywhere I looked was covered in it. Little rivers of blood ran down the shattered windshield, dripping onto the dash and pooling in my lap. It smelled terrible, why did it smell like that? _

_I watched it run down, unable to understand what had happened. It didn't make any sense, where was I, what was going on? Where was Mommy?_

_I tried to scream for her. I tried, but I couldn't make any sound. "Mommy! Mommy?" _

_I tried to turn my head, to look for her, but something was pressing against my face. I raised my hand, intending to remove whatever was trapping me, but stopped when the movement caused searing pain to erupt in my stomach. _

"_Mommy, it hurts. Where are you?"_

_Something soft and warm brush my face. Suddenly, I was free. I turned to look for Mommy. _

_She was there.. but why did she look so sad, I'd found her? Ignoring the pain, I reached out, wiping the tears off her face. "Why are you sad? It's going to be okay now, I was scared before, but now I found you?"_

_She smiled a little, the tears still flowing, caressed my face again, and started whispering to me. _

_I didn't pay attention, I wanted to leave this place now. It smelled bad, and I was hurting worse now. I wanted to go home. I tried to get up, to get out of my seat, but trying hurt. _

_I screamed and grabbed my stomach. I tried to look down, but Momma wouldn't let me. She kept turning my head back to her and whispering. Why was she doing that? I couldn't hear her when she whispered. _

"_Stop whispering, I can't hear you." I yelled. I didn't want to be here. It hurt and I was so sticky. I wanted to go home and take a bath, I'd feel better then. _

_I tried to get up again, but something was pressing against my stomach. I pushed against it, hard. It didn't move. _

_I tried to look down, but Mommy kept holding my head. Angry, I pulled away from her, and looked down and screamed. _

_The dash was crushed and bent, pushing into my stomach. That wasn't right, the dash should have been further away. It was cutting me. I screamed, trying again, and again, to push it away. It wouldn't move, I beat it with my fists and screamed. _

_I started wiggling, trying to get away. It worked a little, but the blood started coming faster. I grabbed my stomach, trying to make it stop. _

_All that blood, it was mine. So much blood, it poured from me. It was everywhere, my hands, the dash, the door the window, why was there so much of it?_

_I turned, looking for Mommy. Why wasn't she helping me?_

"_Mommy, help me. It hurts so much." I reached for the dash again, but Mommy grabbed my hands. "Stop it, I want to go home," I yelled. _

_Mommy, just cried harder and started whispering again. "Stop that," I screamed. Then I realized... I couldn't hear myself either. But... I wasn't whispering. Why couldn't I hear myself?_

_I tried not to cry, I really did. I knew Mommy needed me, she looked so sad. I tried to be her strong girl, but it hurt so bad, and I couldn't understand. _

"_Mommy, take me home? Please, I just want to go home," I sobbed. _

_Then the men came, firemen, I knew. They were taking Mommy away. I held onto her hand as they pulled her from the car. "Mommy, don't go." I pleaded, she just cried harder and struggled against them. _

_They were firemen, weren't they supposed to help? Mommy always said that firemen helped little girls in trouble. _

" _Mommy, was talking, and trying to stay with me. I squeezed her hand tighter, but they wouldn't let her stay. She slipped away, "No!," I yelled, "Please don't go." I tried to reach for her, but she was gone. _

_In her place was one of them, the firemen. He was smiling and talking to me, but I couldn't hear him. I didn't want to, he took Mommy away. _

_He grabbed my arm, a needle in his other hand. I fought, he was going to hurt me, needles hurt, I didn't like them. _

_He was talking to me, smiling and talking. He looked nice, but I knew he wasn't. He'd taken Mommy. I wanted to go home with Mommy, this place hurt, and it smelled so bad. _

_Rust and salt, so strong it made me sick. I tried holding my breath, but I couldn't. The smell kept getting worse, it was so thick in the air, I didn't like it. _

_The men, brought machines. I covered my ears, but I didn't hear them either. _

_The man smiled again, and picked me up. I was free and Mommy was there. _

_I grabbed her hand, and smiled at her. It was over now, we could go home. She smiled, then, she turned around and walked away. _

_I ran after her, but no matter how fast I ran I couldn't catch her. She kept getting farther away. "Mommy, don't go. I love you, Mommy! Please don't go!" I tried to run faster, but my stomach hurt so bad, I couldn't go any farther. _

_Collapsing in the dirt, I called for Mommy, but she wouldn't come back. She didn't even look at me. Why wouldn't she look at me? She just kept walking until she disappeared into the darkness. _

_Everywhere I looked. there was nothing but pitch black. Above me, below me, nothing but darkness. _

That wasn't right, this wasn't right. Wasn't real. Something was pressing against my subconscious, trying to call me back. Cold, hard hands against my face. I shouldn't feel them, where was my shield? I needed my shield to be safe, I tried to call it, to surround myself in it's protection, but I lost my grasp.

_I tried to wade through the darkness, to find a way out. There wasn't one, every step I took, led nowhere. I ran, but didn't move. _

_Suddenly, the scene changed. The darkness receded, revealing a desert. The pain in my abdomen vanished, leaving me confused. _

_I looked down, stunned. My clothes, they were different. The same colors, but larger. _

_Experimentally, I raised my shirt. _

_The ragged, torn wounds were gone. In their place were dozens of jagged ,twisted, scars. They marred my stomach making it look horrific and ugly. Disturbed, I jerked the shirt down. _

_I was older now, than I had been when the dream began. _

_Curiously, I looked around, this was familiar. I'd been here before, I just couldn't remember when. _

_Then I smelled it. Blood! The thick, cloying scent filled my nose and mouth, choking me. I pressed my hands over my face, trying to find some relief from the stench, and searched my surroundings for the source. _

_The only thing in sight was an old, debilitated cabin. It didn't look habitable, however, the footprints leading through the open door suggested otherwise. _

_Dread crawled up my spine as I slowly followed where they led. Through the door, into the kitchen, and to the basement stairs. _

_The smell strengthened as I stood at the top of the stairs, it was coming from down there._

_The dread increased as I descended the stairs, I knew I wasn't going to find anything good at the bottom. Never the less, I continued forward. _

_This had all happened before, I knew that. Why couldn't I remember what was coming? Why couldn't I remember this?_

_Suddenly, everything came flooding back. _

_We were hiding here, hiding from James. His coven attacked us moments ago. Mom was hiding down here, but she wasn't alone. Luarant!_

_I ran down the stairs, skidding to a stop, at the foot of my nightmare. _

_Mom was lying in the dirt, crying. Laurant was standing over her. I couldn't see his face, but I could see Mom's. Tears ran down her face, as she begged him to let her live. her leg was broken, the bone protruding._

_He reached down and ripped her stomach open._

_I screamed, as I watched her abdomen tear like paper. I saw her ribs snap and come apart in his hands. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and I lost it. _

_I felt something break inside me, like a wall had been shattered. Something, warm poured forth. A terrible pressure built under my skin, and I let it. I'd felt similar sensations before, but never this strong. Before it was simply a touch of something weak and tenuous. This time it was like granite, enduring and so dense I felt like I could physically touch it. Like it was hard enough to withstand anything. _

_Before I'd always repressed my powers urgings. Forced them back inside myself. This time I didn't, I screamed, and pulled every bit of power I could find, and pushed it outward.. It built and built, inside my body, becoming a pain unlike anything I'd ever felt before. _

_I didn't suffer from it, I didn't shrink from it, I reveled in it. I sought out the pain, and added more to it. I knew what it was, it was power, it was strength, it was revenge and hatred. It was Laurants destruction._

_I focused every ounce of my being on Laurant, and then I unleashed my power at him. Directing it was the best I could do, once I released it, I couldn't control it anymore. _

_I didn't see it reach Laurant, but I felt it. It wrapped around him, and pressed, pulled, tore at him. _

_I saw him float into the air and bend backwards. He was trying to escape. It was much too late for him, he was already dead, he just didn't know it yet. _

_His mouth opened in a scream I couldn't hear, and slowly he started disintegrating. It started at his hands and feet, moving upwards until they turned to dust and were sucked into the tornado that surrounded him. His arms and legs were next, then his torso and chest, until only his head remained. Soon it too was gone. _

_The dusty tornado was all that was left. I tried to stop it, but instead it grew. The cabin followed Laurant, it was reduced to splinters, and sucked into the tornado as well._

_The tornado slowed, and then stopped, leaving nothing but a pile of dirt and wood behind. The cabin was gone, the only thing left was a hole in the ground that held nothing but Mom and I. _

_Stunned and broken, I simply stared, tears streaming down my face. "Mom!"_

_I wished I could kill him again. Once wasn't enough, he deserved to die a thousand times for hurting her. I staggered over to her body, and knelt beside her. Her eyes were closed, tears still wet on her cheeks. _

_That was wrong in so many ways. Mom was a naturally happy person, she was always laughing, always smiling. During the worst times of her life she found something to be happy about. She shouldn't cry, it wasn't right. _

_Through my telekinesis I felt something coming towards us, something inhumanly fast. _

_I turned, readying my power. Not that I needed to, the granite feeling was a strong as ever, some instinctual part of my brain suggested it always would._

_Belatedly, I felt two others, at the far edges of my telekinetic range, rushing in the opposite direction. Phil, I thought, turning back to Mom. _

_I didn't see how she could survive these wounds. Even if we managed to get her to a hospital, I didn't see her surviving long enough to receive treatment. _

_I knew when Phil got there, just like I knew what had to be done. _

"_Change her," I whispered. _


	10. Chapter 10

I know. I know. It's taken forever to get this chapter out. My only excuse is that... Well, Real Life must take priority. Anyway, here you are. Also, my thanks to my wonderful Beta.

* * *

Chapter 10

I fought my way back to consciousness, desperate to escape the dreams that haunted me.

I opened my eyes slowly, fighting the urge to vomit when my vision swirled and my stomach rolled. I closed my eyes and breathed through my mouth. Considering the plethora of head trauma I'd suffered during my childhood I should have been used to watching the world spin. I wasn't, nothing ever prepared me to lose another of my senses. Being deaf was bad enough, feeling as if I couldn't rely on my eyes was nothing short of terrifying.

When I felt it was safe, I cautiously opened my eyes.

Encouraged by my stationary environment, I carefully examined my surroundings.

I was lying on an old exam table. Its age advertised glaringly in the cracked plastic. Across from me was a single table, lined with tongue depressors and cotton balls. I stopped inspecting there. I knew I wasn't in a hospital but it was too similar for my liking.

I felt something cold brush my arm. It took me a second to realize it was hands, the same one's from my dream. I also realized that they were not human.

Startled, I flinched away and scrambled off the table. I stumbled forward a few steps, my heart pounding.

I used my shield to steady myself, and whirled to see Edwards soulful eyes stared back at me.

_Oh, my Lord. _My heart kept thundering but for an entirely different reason this time.

He averted his eyes, staring at something over my shoulder, rather than looking at me. "What were you dreaming about, Bella?" His eyes were unaccountably sad, I didn't understand that. What reason did he have to be sad?

Uncertain about Edward's state of mind, I didn't feel safe answering the question. Not until I knew what had happened. I had always talked in my sleep but I was especially vocal during the nightmares. What had he heard?

"What did I say?" I tried to present a calm front as I asked. I was sure I failed.

Edward didn't answer, simply staring at me in a way that worried me. I'd talked all right, the only question was: How much did I say?

The last thing I remembered was collapsing on the sidewalk and then the dreams. Where was I, how did I get here?

And why was Edward here?

I could answer one of those. I was in the school nurses office. My mind had cleared enough that I understood that much.

"How did I get here?" I was aware that I had yet to answer his question but, given my situation, I didn't care.

He briefly returned his eyes to mine, "I carried you, after you fainted on the sidewalk outside."

My pride wounded, I snapped at him. "I did not faint, I simply blacked out. If I had eaten anything at lunch, it wouldn't have happened." I huffed, not caring if I sounded childish. Bella Swan did not faint. Ever.

Edward smirked, seeming to brighten up slightly. "Fine then. I carried you after you 'blacked out'."

My mind latched onto the three words I'd been too insulted to pick up on before. 'I carried you'. _Why the hell couldn't I be awake to enjoy that part?_

I started to question him further. "Wha..."

Mrs. Cope's arrival had me snapping my mouth shut. "Oh, Miss. Swan. You're awake!"

_Really? I hadn't noticed._

"How are you feeling?" She continued.

I sighed, "I'm fine. Can I go home now?"

She gaped at me like I was crazy. Although, perhaps I was. "You fainted; of course you can't go home. I need to check your vitals and fill out a questionnaire in case you need to see a general practitioner."

"I did not faint, I blacked out." I snapped. Ignoring it when Edward snickered. "This isn't anything to worry about, I've blacked out before. Blood makes me sick and, as a result, my Glucose level plummets. If I'd eaten lunch it wouldn't have been this serious. All you have to do is call Charlie. He will arrange for my medical records to be faxed over and we can skip all this unnecessary hassle."

Despite my shield I had hurt myself quite a lot over the years. Standard medical practices were nothing new to me.

Mrs. Cope frowned and propped her hands on her hips. "Very well, Miss. Swan. Since you seem to understand my job requirements so thoroughly, we will go with your suggestion. Besides, Chief Swan has already been informed."

I nodded, satisfied that I wouldn't be poked, prodded, or asked embarrassing questions about my blackout.

I moved toward the door, intending to make a run for it.

Mrs. Cope grabbed my arm as I passed by. I knew it was coming and forcibly suppressed the urge to slam her into the wall.

"Just a moment, Miss. Swan. I can't release you without checking your vitals first. Not without your parents written permission." There was malice behind her eyes as she spoke and I knew she was hassling me because I had brushed her off. I could see how that would be annoying, I simply did not care.

_Ass-faced, heifer!_

She reached for a blood-pressure cup, and, without thinking, I growled low in my throat. It was a bad habit, one I'd picked up from Phil. He was inclined to growl whenever he got angry or upset.

Until this moment, I thought I had managed to break that habit.

_It was a really bad time to have a lapse in self control., on account of the vampire currently watching your every move._

Mrs. Cope flinched and Edward's head snapped up. I ignored Mrs. Cope, she wasn't a threat; Edward was. Amusement and disbelief were readily apparent on his face.

I snatched my hand away and stalked outside. I knew I was being a jerk but I didn't care. The anger bubbled up and I was helpless to control it. I wasn't mad at anyone specific, the world in general made a suitable target.

I felt like I needed to run, to escape.

I knew I couldn't. Leaving the school wouldn't be enough to alleviate that feeling. I just needed to go, as long as I was moving I could manage.

Charlie would understand, he knew how much the dreams unsettled me. He wouldn't care if I ditched without permission.

I was halfway to my car when Edward stepped in front of me.

"Where do you think you're going?" he groused.

"Home," I mumbled, wondering why he was so snarly.

He crossed his arms, scowling. "And just how do you intend to get there?"

I rolled my eyes, "The same way I got here: I'm going to drive." I stepped around him, fighting the sudden urge to smile. It amused me that a vampire—one of the world's deadliest predators—succeeded at pretended to be human, but couldn't pull off the, 'I'm more stubborn than you are,' look.

I didn't make it more than a foot before I was snatched backwards. Stumbling, I turned to see Edward holding the end of my jacket. "What are you doing?"

He frowned, abandoning the obstinate expression. "I don't think you should be driving in your condition. If you want to go home, I'll take you. "

"What condition?" I couldn't say I was exuding warm, sparkly feelings, but I wasn't drunk either.

He paused, "Bella you just woke up from a," he raised one hand beside his head and made air quotes. "'Blackout.' You haven't eaten anything and you're weak. Your hands are still shaking."

I glanced at my hands, irritated that he was right. I clenched my fists before looking back up at him.

Apparently Edward took that as permission. Turning, he dragged me towards his car.

"Hey, let go of me!" I yelled, considering my telekinesis as an option if he didn't listen.

I considered it but, when he kept towing me across the parking lot, I didn't use it; even if it was a tempting idea.

When we reached his car, he left me beside the passenger door and walked around to the driver side.

"What about my car? I can't just leave it here."

He dismissed that excuse with a wave of his hand, "Alice will return it after school."

I stared towards my Baby, wondering if running was worth a try. I looked back at Edward to see him regarding me with a patient look.

"Don't even think about it. I'd just drag you back."

_Only if I let you, jerk._

"Fine," I huffed. With no other recourse, I opened the door and unceremoniously plopped into the seat. I didn't see why I should be graceful about a kidnapping.

_Who would have thought a vampire could be this annoying... or this decent? _I admitted reluctantly. _God, he acts like one of the freakin' Brady Bunch._

I stared out the window, unseeing. The passing trees and scenery meant nothing to me. I was remembering an entirely different setting. In my head the car was crumpled, holding me down. The smell of blood suffocating me, the terrible silence pressing into my head.

I blinked, forcing that thought away. That was the only way to deal with it. Having these episodes always brought it back, made me feel as if it had happened yesterday. As if I was still living with the horror.

It wasn't an instant solution but focusing on something else gave me time to process. Time to realize I was past this, to a degree at least. I wasn't that scared little girl anymore. I was an adult, I'd taken care of my mother for years, I'd killed a vampire; I didn't need to be terrified of a memory.

Needing a distraction, I turned to Edward. "Why are you doing this?"

He cocked his head slightly, "Doing what?"

"Helping me."

"I..." He paused. I got the distinct impression that he didn't know the reason. "You needed help, and because I am able to provide it, I do."

I scoffed, "That simple, huh?"

"Yes," He said, nodding.

I turned in the seat, regarding him thoughtfully, "I don't believe that."

"You don't believe I helped you?"

"No, I know you helped me, several times. You took me to the nurse's office. You stayed with me, even though it probably would have been more convenient for you to leave. But why didn't you leave it there? I'm not your problem, so how come you've taken so much responsibility for me today?"

I was genuinely curious. Why had he gone so far out of his way to help me? And why didn't my scent seem to affect him anymore?

"Bella, when you were unconscious, you... Dreamed, I think. I know what's it's like to have horror stuck in your head." He shrugged, like it was nothing.

Nothing? This vampire showed a kindness most humans wouldn't think to offer, and it was nothing?

He started talking again, before I had the chance to express my gratitude. "I'm sorry. I need to pick up my brothers and sisters now."

I glanced outside, surprised to see we were sitting in my driveway. I hadn't even realized we'd stopped.

"Sorry to keep you, and..." I paused, searching for the words. "Thanks for the ride," I finished lamely.

He smiled, "Anytime."

With nothing else to be said, I nodded and moved to get out. Edward's hand on my arm stopped me. I watched as he struggled for words, "Bella, I'm not... I'm not a good friend for you."

I wasn't sure what he meant by 'friend' but he was wrong. "Edward, you have no idea what you're talking about," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

I fished my car key out of my pocket and handed it to him, whispering a silent prayer. "Here, you might need this."

He took it, nodding in response.

As I left Edward and made my way inside, I wondered if maybe, just maybe, these strange vampires could be helpful to me. Or rather, _would _they?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I'd been home for less than an hour, and I'd already run out of things to occupy my mind. I'd done my homework, and straightened the house.

Once I'd cleaned the house, I tried to read, and watch TV, but neither could capture my interest, not even Jane Austen.

Searching for another, more lasting, distraction, I called Jake. I usually didn't bother to call, just showing up whenever I felt like it, but it was Friday. I wanted to make sure he would be home. Pulling a kitchen chair in front of the phone, I got comfortable.

I stared at the text-to-speech converter, waiting to see who answered. Since I came to Forks, they always identified themselves along with their greeting. Or maybe they'd always done that?

"This had better be an emergency."

I paused, that didn't sound good. "Hello, It's Bella. Is Jake there?"

'Sorry, Bells. This is Jake. I didn't mean to snap at you, but this really isn't a good time.'

Worry filled me. Jake was bitchy like a hormonal teenage girl, but he was never rude. "What's wrong Jake?"

"I feel like my body's turning inside out. It really hurts Bella."

I panicked. "Jake, call Billy. Maybe you need to go to the hospital. I'll call Charlie and meet you there."

"I tried that already. Dad says it's just the flu. Then he told me to lie down, and it would pass. And it does, but then it comes back worse than before." There was a pause, "Why the hell are they still here?"

_Who? _"Jake, what are you talking about?"

"Dad called Sam and his gang. They're like some kind of cult. Paul, Jared, and Quil, are part of it now. They used to be my friends. Then, all of a sudden, they just disappeared. When they came back, they were different. They don't even go to school anymore, don't talk to anyone. They don't do anything but what follow Sam tells them to do. "

"Cult?" I muttered.

He continued as if he hadn't heard me. "They were all sick before they vanished. Just like I am now."

_What the hell?_ I had never heard anything this bizarre from Jake. He was the most rational person... Okay, so maybe not _'the'_ most rational, but he wasn't usually one for ridiculous conspiracy theories either. "Jake, just because your friends joined a new group, doesn't mean it's a cult. And you aren't going to hang out with this 'Sam' guy, like your friends '_chose' _to do."

His next words were chilling as they flashed across the screen. "That's just it Bella, I don't think they had a choice."

I opened my mouth to reassure him, but had nothing to say. What could I say to that?

"Hello, Bella? This is Billy."

"Billy? Where's Jake?"

I waited a full minute before he replied. "I just made him lie down. I'm sorry if he's worried you. He caught a really bad strain of the flu and the medicine the doctor prescribed is making him loopy."

_Loopy? Who says loopy anymore, that word went 'out' right along with 'rad' and 'happening'__."_

"He seemed really sick. Maybe I should bring Charlie over; we could drive him to the hospital."

"No. No. That wouldn't help. You'd just catch his flu. Then you'd both be miserable."

"Oh, don't worry about that, I've already gotten my flu shot. Besides, Charlie's trained in emergency medicine. He'll be able to tell if Jake needs to go to the hospital."

"Jacob is my son, Bella. I think I know how to take care of him." _Now how come that makes me suspicious?_

"I'm sure you can but, if it's all the same to you, I'd still like to see him."

There was silence, then he answered,"Bella, I know we don't know each other that well, but have I ever done anything to give you the impression that I'm not a good father? That I don't love my son?"

I frowned, "No, Billy, you haven't. But Jake's like a brother to me, if he's hurt I want to help too."

"I know that Bella but you have to trust that I know what's best for him and for you. Jake will get better later but, as of right now, he can't have any visitors."

_God, I hate it when people use logic against me!_

"But what about this 'Sam' guy, and his friends?"

There was no pause this time. "Sam, and his friends, are being considered for future positions on the tribal council. They're here for a meeting, nothing more."

_Huh? Jake isn't the only one acting weird._ "I meant, if you're entertaining visitors, who's watching Jake?"

It was only words flashing across a screen but I imagined exasperation heavy in his next words. "They are leaving as we speak. And, I do not need you to tell me how parent my own child. I've done quite well without your help so far."

I blushed, even if he couldn't see me. "Okay, okay. I was just making sure Jake wasn't alone. You don't have to bite my head off for it. Bye." I quickly hung up, embarrassed beyond description.

I was still sitting there, by the phone, when vibrations told me that Charlie was home. I moved from my seat to the fridge, I hadn't had time to cook but maybe I could reheat leftovers.

I went about making dinner and pretended I didn't know he was watching me, analyzing my movements and posture.

I could have tried to reassure him but that wouldn't have made a difference. Charlie would just ignore anything I said and draw his own conclusions. He was a lot like me in that regard.

We were halfway through our meal when he spoke. "Bella, how do you feel?"

I blinked. He'd been watching me for the better part of twenty minutes and he hadn't figured that out for himself? "I'm okay, for the most part. Why?"

He shrugged. "You're friend, Angela, called. She heard about your incident at school and was wondering if you still felt up to going to Port Angeles with them." He paused, and redirected his gaze over my shoulder. "I figured you would be and that you would probably need the distraction, so I told them yes."

_Awesome!_

He looked back at me, trying to gauge my reaction. "I think it would be good for you but I won't force you to go, if you don't want to. They'll be here soon, though, so if you're not going I'll need to call them back."

"Oh, no. I want to go," I said, smiling, I got up, threw my dirty dishes into the sink, and ran upstairs.

I got ready as fast as I could. Changing clothes and digging my wallet out of my school bag. Five minutes later, I ran back downstairs, yelling at Charlie that he could do the dishes tonight.

The second I stepped into the kitchen, I felt like a complete jerk. Charlie was already in the midst of cleaning up.

_That's settles it, I'm a horrible daughter._

Charlie turned to me smiling, "I've got a head start on this one, Bells. Now before you go, I have a few questions. "

I scowled. Charlie was more comfortable with being a cop, than he was with being a father. I'd known the two personas would merge at some point. "And what would they be?"

Charlie turned to face me, leaning against the sink. "Why are you going to Port Angeles?"

I rolled my eyes, how typical. "There's a girl's choice dance coming up. The girls need dresses."

"What about you, are you looking for a dress too?"

_Oh, real smooth Charlie. _"No, Dad. I'm not going to the dance."

He frowned. "Why not? None of the boys here have caught your eye?"

"No, Dad. I haven't found a boy who interests me." _Technically, Edward isn't a boy. See, I just lied again._

He searched my face intently, searching for any sign of deception. I made sure he didn't find any. After a few seconds, confusion replaced the suspicion. "Why are you going dress shopping if you aren't going to the dance?"

I rolled my eyes, "To help them find dresses, Dad. You know, advice and objective criticism." I wouldn't have had to explain this to mom.

Charlie seemed to realize the girly stuff was out of his element. "Okay, have fun," he muttered, shrugging.

I smiled. It was nice to have a parental moment with Charlie. I'd missed a lot of father daughter moments, but not all it seemed.

My smile fell as I considered another possibility; if things didn't go well, this could be one of the last. How unfair would that be? I just got my father back. I didn't want to lose him so soon.

The thought that I might fail to protect him, or fail to protect myself spurred me into action. I couldn't guarantee I would live long enough to share other moments with him. But at least I could give him this. I walked over and hugged him tightly. I felt his body tense in surprise but I didn't let go. "You're a really good dad. You know that?"

I felt his chest rumble but didn't move back to see what he'd said. Only when he hugged me back, did I feel like it was okay to let him go. I felt like he'd gotten the point, that he knew I loved him.

I stepped back, and glanced at his face. I knew he would repeat himself. It was common courtesy around a non-hearing person. "You're a good kid too, Bells," he said, blushing slightly.

I smiled, pretending I believed it.

Neither one of us was comfortable with emotional displays nor had any idea what to do now that we'd had a warm, fuzzy moment.

I was saved when movement diverted my attention. It was fast but not fast enough to worry me. I glanced towards the door when I felt it pull into the driveway, "Angela's here, I'm gone."

Charlie frowned, "I didn't hear anything."

I laughed, _h__e'll never learn._ "Wait for it."

Sure enough, the alert light started flashing. "Dad, someone's at the door." I smirked.

He looked back at me, frowning. "How do you do that?"

I shook my head, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

He rolled his eyes, and waved me forward.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The first twelve dresses were fun to analyze. I gave the girls my opinions and watched as everyone, but Angela, disregarded them.

By the time they stared to narrow down their choices, I was ready to go home. I loved girl time but only in small doses.

_If I have to look at one more slut sleeve, I'm going to throw up._

As Jessica paraded around in her fortieth dress, I searched for a reason to leave.

Port Angeles had to have at least one bookstore. I wasn't really in the mood to browse through a bunch of titles but anything would be better than watching Jessica parade around in a dress that didn't consist of enough fabric to cover an emaciated kitten.

I stayed long enough to help Angela choose her dress, before I made my excuses and left.

Following Jessica's directions, I headed west.

Five minutes later, I'd passed two dozen souvenir shops but not a single bookstore. I was beginning to doubt the sincerity of Jessica's advice.

Several minutes later, I concluded that Jessica was either lying or ignorant. The most logical explanation was that she was just ignorant. _Really, what use would Jessica have for a __bookstore?__ It's not like she actually reads._

I'd long passed Port Angeles' scenic veneer. Nothing but fenced off warehouses and industrial building surrounded me.

I turned around, making my way back to the tourist friendly part of town. The girls were probably already waiting for me at the restaurant.

I didn't care that I might me inconveniencing Lauren or Jessica, but Angela was my friend. I'd call and let her know I was going to be late. As I walked I felt my pockets, searching for my cell, I noticed two men standing at a little intersection ahead of me. They stared at me in a way I wasn't comfortable with.

I hoped they were just curious, but wasn't willing to risk the alternative. I took the first side road I found. It wasn't an actual road, more like an alley but it connected to the adjacent street.

In Phoenix, I wouldn't ever have attempted to walk around, alone, at this time of night. But this was the real life equivalent of Mayberry.

When I felt I'd traveled far enough away, I looked back. They were still there.

I knew then, that I'd been stupid. Port Angeles' may have strongly resembled Mayberry but bad things happened everywhere.

I had to physically force myself to keep pace, while my muscles literally itched with the urge to run. It was purely an instinctual response; they couldn't hurt me even if they tried.

When I reached the end of the alley, I paused long enough to look both ways. When I saw two men standing at each end of the street, I realized my mistake.

I wasn't being stalked, I was being herded. I deployed my shield and looked behind me. They were much closer than they had been before.

They acted as if nothing wrong was happening. The two men laughed and jostled each other like old friends. _It has to be an act, what were the odds that I would 'accidentally' be trapped between six complete strangers, in town this small? Not likely._

I did a quick assessment of my situation. I was stuck in an alley; the exit behind me was blocked. I couldn't go left or right, as they were blocked as well. Straight across from me was an abandoned building surrounded by a high chain link fence. In order to avoid a fight, that was my only option.

With no other choice, I calmly walked across the street hoping the human monsters wouldn't know what I intended until it was too late.

I kept part of my mind on tracking the men I couldn't see. They were closing in, but not fast enough.

When I reached the fence, a rebellious flare had me looking back at them. I smirked and raising both hands, quickly flipping them off.

I didn't wait to see their reactions; I climbed the fence as quickly as I could and jumped down on the other side.

I didn't waste time trying to figure out what my next move should be, or what direction I should go. I ran. I was in unfamiliar territory, and that put me at a disadvantage.

I ran down a small dirt path that led around the building. I didn't know where it went but it had to better than what was behind me.

I used my shield to give me a little extra speed. My heart sank when I realized the little path led to a door. I didn't know what purpose the tumble down building had originally served, but I didn't want to find out. My only hope was the same chain link fence I'd jumped over. It seemed as if it ran the length of the property.

I risked being seen and threw an extra burst into my telekinesis. I flew forward and propelled myself into the air.

I sailed over the fence, landing smoothly on the other side. My speed never slowed as I ran into the street.

When I was six and being bullied at school, my father taught me several things I'll never forget. How to punch someone without breaking my hand. And that when you were running away from someone, never run in a straight line. Being a cop's daughter was a unique experience, to say the least.

I stopped, crouching in the shadow of an overgrown bush.

_What do I do now? _I was away, but I didn't know where my stalkers were. I couldn't continue on, as they were undoubtedly still looking for me. I couldn't stay here until they gave up; Angela was waiting for me. I was screwed no matter what I chose.

I made the decision: my ability could get me a long way before the men found me. As I stood up and stepped into the street, a pair of headlights blinded me. I couldn't tell what kind of car it was, only that it was traveling at a very high rate of speed.

Were 'they' coming for me? It seemed the only option. Why else would the driver be speeding on such a small street? A better question; how was I going to get out of this one?

If I used my gift to protect myself, they could expose me. Most people would scoff at their outlandish story, thinking it nothing more than a drunken delusion. But some, a small few, would believe. I couldn't let that happen; the only way to protect my family and myself was to either run, or kill them.

No, that was wrong. My choices had been reduced to only one option. The only question now, was where I would hide the bodies.

As I stood there, waiting for the car to reach me. I shut down. Emotionally frozen I was prepared to do what was necessary. Prepared to kill as quickly and efficiently as I could.

It took less than a second to fashion a dozen long, thin, needles from my telekinesis. They were small, invisible, and lethal. The perfect murder weapons.

Humans were frail, squishy things when compared to the ridiculous solidity of my telekinesis. My spikes would tear into their target, destroy every nerve, muscle, or organ in their path, then exit cleanly. Nothing but a tiny pink mark would show on the skin, they wouldn't even bleed. And after my weapons had accomplished their purpose they would simply cease to exist. No evidence would be left behind.

I stepped back as the car swerved towards me. As the driver slammed on the brakes and the car skidded to a stop, I raised my hand, ready to release my improvised weapons.

The door passenger flew open. But instead of revealing the enemy I expected, It was Edward holding the door open for me.

He looked every inch the angry vampire. I'd never been happier to see anyone in my life. I was moving towards the car when he snarled, "Get in!"

For once in my life I obeyed, dissolving the spikes as I went. Edward threw the car in gear and sped away.

I suppressed a laughed as he sped past the city limit sign. My luck was something else, a thing to be marveled at. I couldn't quite tell if I was blessed or cursed. I was the living personification of Murphy's law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

Surprisingly enough, I felt safe. I had been rescued from the human threat, but now sat in a small enclosed space with a vampire who was not only pissed off, but who also had a severe reaction to my scent. _Am I doing better, or worse, than I was a few moments ago?_

I sat quietly and watched the darkened scenery flash by. I put a great deal of effort into keeping my mind away from how fast he was driving. I was better off not knowing. I'd had more than enough Cardio for one night.

A minute later he pulled into the woods, turned the car off, and stared into the darkness. His expression murderous, he clenched the wheel so hard I feared it would shatter under the pressure.

"Are you okay," I asked, genuinely concerned.

He looked at me, his eyes burning. "No. I am, most certainly, not okay. Talk to me," he ordered.

_Talk to him? _"Excuse me?"

"Just prattle on about something unimportant until I calm down. Please?"

It was the 'please' combined with his tortured expression that had me immediately complying. "Okay, give me a second." _Unimportant? It seems like everything is a matter of life and death these days._

I focused on past days, when things were normal. It seemed like a lifetime ago, when in reality it was merely a few short years. I sighed; this wasn't going to be pretty. My most prominent memories were of embarrassment and humiliation. "I ate my pet goldfish when I was little."

He snorted a laugh and eyed me like I was crazy.

"Hey, don't look at me that way. I know what you're thinking and I'm not crazy," I snapped, both pleased and indignant.

I was going to finish the story and defend myself, but Edward burst out laughing. I stared, amazed. It was the first time I'd seen him laugh.

_It's not that funny_, I thought. Folding my hands, I sat back and waited for him to collect himself.

When he was through, he wiped his eyes like he'd laughed till he cried. I found it endearing, even if it wasn't possible. "Why did you eat your childhood pet?"

I gave him my best stink eye. "I don't think I want to tell you."

He smiled, "You can't tell someone that and leave the story unfinished." After a moment he added, "Please?"

I thought about it and, begrudgingly, admitted he was right. "I was six, and Renee was frying fish for supper. She burned half of it and, to supplement what she'd ruined, she fried Mr. Winkles. I didn't know until it was too late."

He laughed again, though not as hard as before. "Feeling better?" I asked, changing the topic.

His expression instantly reverted but he didn't seem as angry as he had to start with. I found that reassuring.

"Some, thank you."

I nodded.

"Are you okay, Bella? They didn't hurt you did they?"

"I'm fine; they never even got close to me." Those idiots were the farthest thing from my mind. Now that we'd moved on I was much more concerned with Edward's timely rescue.

"Thank you for rescuing me." I murmured absently. "But how did you find me?" _And could you possibly take me back now. Being alone with a vampire, in a setting where I could easily disappear without a trace, isn't the brightest idea. Even if he is really, really hot._

He frowned. "I got lost, and, while I was trying to find my way back to the road, I saw you running." He paused, studying me. "Do you feel cold, nauseous, dizzy?"

"No, I feel fine. Why?" I frowned; he was lying, vampires didn't get lost. They had perfect memories. If he had gone down the wrong street, he would have known the exact path he needed to get back. And what were the odds that I would get help from a vampire of all things?

"You're unusually calm, which leads me to believe you're in shock," he said this gently, like he was trying not to upset me.

I laughed, "I'm not in shock. Trust me. It would take more than a few drunk assholes to do that."

He faced me long enough to say, "It might help if you eat something? Besides, your friends are probably worried about you."

Nodding to himself he started the car and drove us back towards Port Angeles.

How? Why? And Edward? How did he know I wasn't here alone? Why couldn't I avoid him? Why was he everywhere? What had I done to get his attention? Had I said something while unconscious in the nurse's office?

I'd been trying so hard. Trying to blend in, trying to keep everyone safe. It was disappointing to realize that, somehow, I hadn't entirely succeeded.

My stomach sank when he easily maneuvered his boring Volvo into a parking space across from 'La Bella Italia'. This was exactly where I needed to go, exactly where the girls were waiting. But, how had he known that?

"How did you…" I cut myself off, shaking my head. _Why bother asking when I know he won't answer honestly._

I opened the door and climbed out. I saw Edward frown as I did so, one more thing to add to his growing list of oddities.

He was still frowning as he walked around the car to stand at my side. I glanced up at him, from the corner of my eye, wondering why he was still with me. I'd assumed we'd be assumed we'd be parting ways here.

Angela and Jessica were standing outside the restaurant, looking around anxiously. One glance at Angela's face made me feel bad, she was very near panic. Jessica, on the other hand, seemed more irritated than anything else.

I waived to get their attention. Jessica spotted me first. Her expression morphed into adoration when she saw my escort. Not that I blamed her, he had that effect on people. Angela's reaction wasn't much different, although relief was there as well.

They stared as we crossed the street towards them.

Angela snapped out of it before Jessica. "Bella, where have you been? We were so worried." As she talked she threw glances at Edward every few seconds.

Jessica's petulant expression suggested 'she' hadn't been too worried. "I got lost, and then Edward found me. I'm sorry you were worried." Edward's eyes narrowed at that. Whether it was because of the lie, or the reminder, I didn't know.

Angela nodded regally, so I assumed I was forgiven.

_Now, how to I get rid of Edward? _I was going through a list of subtle goodbyes when Edward stepped into my direct line of sight. "Hello, Angela. Jessica." He nodded at each of them.

Jessica giggled, fluttering her eyelashes coyly. "Hello, Edward. Do you have any plans for the night?"

Edward winced, throwing Jessica a pained look before looking at me questioningly, "Actually, I was hoping I could join you for dinner."

This time I was the one gaping at him. _What the hell? Is he really inviting himself to eat__with us? A human dinner? With human food?_

Angela frowned. "We ate while we were waiting for you, Bella. I'm sorry, we thought you would be back before we finished." Judging from the murderous look Jessica gave Angela, she hadn't planned on being honest about that. Jessica was willing do far worse than overeat in order to spend time in Edward's company.

I squelched a twinge of jealousy. I had no claim on Edward; it wasn't rational to be jealous because someone else wanted him. "It's okay, I'm not hungry."

Edward gave me a disappointed look, "I think you should eat something."

_I think you should eat something. _I mocked mentally. Before I could protest, he turned to the girls, smiling the most charmingly seductive smile. _You sneaky bastard! _"If it is okay with you, I'll drive Bella home after she eats. That way you don't have to wait."

I rolled my eyes, he was so obvious. Unfortunately, he was also extremely hot. There wasn't a chance in hell of them saying no.

Five minutes later, I was sitting at a private table, trying to resist the nearly uncontrollable urge to body slam our slutty waitress.

She smiled seductively at Edward, pointedly ignoring my existence. "What would you like to drink?" _Whore_.

Edward turned to me, silently asking me the same question. Left with no other choice, the harlot finally acknowledged me. "A coke, please?"

Edward turned back to the waitress and smiled, "Two cokes, please."

As the waitress stumbled away, I wondered if he was even aware of the effect he had on people. "You shouldn't do that. It isn't fair," I scolded.

"Do what?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes, "Dazzle them like that." When he still seemed confused I scoffed, "Come on? You have to know the effect you have on people."

He honestly seemed confused as he asked, "I dazzle them?" One more thing I didn't understand about Edward. He was a vampire; the ability to dazzle people was a lure, meant to draw his victims to him. Even if he didn't dazzle them intentionally, he had to know that.

"Yes," I nodded. "Until now, I thought you were doing on purpose." If he was lying, he was doing a unquestionably fine job of it. I couldn't find any sign of deception.

"Why would I purposefully 'Dazzle' someone?"

I laughed, "You haven't ever noticed the way people react to you? The waitress, Mrs. Cope, Jessica, Angela, Lauren. All you have to do is smile at them and they'd give you anything you wanted."

He looked down at his hands where they rested on the table, seeming to think a moment before he responded. "Do I ever 'Dazzle' you?"

I thought about it, "Just once I think." I would never understand why I answered that honestly.

He smiled, like this was good news to him.

That he could dazzle me was odd.

_Or maybe not, _I thought. The only vampires I'd been around were Phil and James' coven. I couldn't see myself being dazzled by my stepfather, or the people who wanted to torture me to death.

The waitress returned with our drinks. I nearly choked when I saw her. She'd made a few changes to her... outfit. Her shirt suddenly had a neckline that bordered on indecent and her skirt was several inches shorter.

I rolled my eyes and laughed quietly. She looked like an idiot, to me anyway. I knew most men wouldn't think so. She stopped next to Edward and set our drinks on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked. I knew Edward was hot, hell it took me forever to stop calling him 'Adonis' in my head, but I couldn't see why women made such fools of themselves for men.

Edward raised his brow at me. Taking the hint, I glanced at the menu and ordered the first thing I saw. "Mushroom Ravioli."

"And for you, Sir?"

Edward shook his head, "Nothing. I'm not hungry."

I had to choke back another laugh at her incredulous expression, "Are you sure there isn't _anything _I can get for you?" I didn't miss the way she emphasized 'anything'.

Edward nodded, not even throwing a glance in her direction, instead staring at me intently. I studied his expression for a moment, "I'm not in shock. Would you relax?"

He scowled, an expression I was becoming familiar with. "You should be. A normal person would be."

I shrugged, trying to hide a grimace.

My phone vibrated, the same one I'd been searching for earlier. I pulled it out and read the caller I.D. 'Phillip: The Annoying Step-Thingie' flashed across the screen. I glanced subtly at Edward, and hit the ignore button.

Edward noticed, but didn't comment.

I focused on Edward, already plotting my way out of a tight situation, "I need you to do me a favor."

"What favor," he asked, suspiciously.

I rolled my eyes, "Relax, It's nothing too hard. I need you to keep tonight's little... Adventure to yourself. Please?" As I spoke, my phone vibrated again. Knowing it was Phil calling, I sent it to voice mail without looking at the caller ID.

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes, "Because Charlie is protective and, if he finds out about tonight, he'll freak out."

Before Edward could speak, my phone went off. _Again?_

That worried me, after the second time I sent it to voice mail he should have known that I couldn't answer. That he was calling a third time, meant that whatever he was calling about, was important. I frowned, the possible catastrophes numbered in the hundreds.

"Excuse me," I murmured absently to Edward. I made sure the phone wasn't producing sound of any kind of sound and that there wasn't any kind of reflective surface behind me, before I answered.

"What's wrong?" I asked, skipping the pleasantries.

'Bella, Phil here.'_ Really, I wouldn't have guessed that, it being your phone number and all. Get to the point already. _

'We've discovered some disturbing information about the Cullen Coven.' As he talked, our waitress returned. To my surprise her clothes had been returned to their original, adult, size. She didn't linger or attempt to seduce Edward again, she set my plate down and left quietly.

I turned my mind back to the problem at hand. Relaxing my posture I tried to project exasperation, as if I was a normal teenager having a normal conversation with an authority figure.

"No, I'm in Port Angeles with a friend.' I rolled my eyes and sighed.

'Bella? Are you with one of the Cullen's right now?'

"Yes."

'Is their trouble?'

"No."

'May I ask why you are enjoying the company of someone you were supposed to be avoiding? And is this safe?'

"I couldn't help it. No. I've already gotten a few gifts I didn't see coming."

"So you know part of it already. That's why I'm calling: I met up with an... old friend who purports to have met their acquaintance. He says the un-mated male is Telepathic, and another possesses a precognitive ability. You need to leave. Now!'

_Oh, shit! Edward's a freakin' mind reader? _The idea nearly floored me. _No, that's not possible. Had they read my mind and saw what I am, they would have come for me long ago._

"No. I've already seen the second one. I wasn't interested in the first.'

'You knew about the psychic?'

"Yes. Most of them seem nice."

'Will the Telepath be a problem?'

"I don't know, but give Renee my love." I said, trying to infuse my voice with sadness. Which was difficult, considering I didn't know what sadness sounded like.

'I understand. Given the circumstances we should limit contact to emergencies only. Are you sure you won't join us?'

I sighed, purely for Edwards benefit. "Yes, I'm sure. Charlie needs me. Besides, I like it here."

'Be careful, we'll be in touch if we discover anything else. Goodbye, Bella.'

"Goodbye, Phil." I severed the connection.

_Hello! _I tried to think loud, to throw my thoughts at him.

_Edward! Hello!_

Nothing.

_Hey, how's your thirst been lately? Does hearing the blood rush through my veins make you thirsty? Does the sound of my heartbeat make you burn? You know how easy it would be to make it go away. The animals don't satisfy you, but I can. My blood would be so sweet. It's right here, so close._

Still nothing. Maybe I truly was a mental shield. If I understood correctly, a mental shield would make me invulnerable to such an ability.

"Bella? Are you well?"

"Yes. I just miss my Mom. That was my stepfather checking up on me."

He nodded.

"Sorry for the interruption. If I hadn't answered the third time he called, he would have had Charlie and the National Guard searching for my body." I rolled my eyes like any exasperated teenager would. "You aren't off the hook, you know? I still want you to promise you won't tell Charlie."

He smiled, "I promise I will not tell your father about what happened this evening."

I beamed at him, "Thank you."

He froze, his eyes going unfocused. A fraction of a second later, he snapped out of it. It was so fast, I wondered if I'd imagined the whole thing.

Before I could ask him about it, my cell vibrated again. I thought about ignoring it, but my conscience got the better of me. I could listen to Phil give me the same advice he'd given me a hundred times before.

To my surprise, it wasn't a call. It was a text. Such a simple thing, a text, so small harmless. Still, for all that, it could be incredibly powerful. I nearly cried when I saw the text, 'Waylon Forge is dead.' Charlie was going to be so heartbroken.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

We arrived at the police station within half an hour. Edward seemed to understand my urgency though I had never spoken of it. I simply said that I needed to get home; he immediately paid the bill and whisked me away.

Absorbed in my thoughts, it seemed as if mere seconds had passed between walking out of the restaurant and seeing the flashing blue lights in the distance. The sight made my stomach clench painfully and my chest constrict until I could barely breathe.

Charlie was a man who cared deeply, even if he couldn't show it well. He was a protector who instinctively watched over those he loved. Waylon had been his best friend when they were in elementary school. The bond they shared had only strengthened in the years since. Charlie considered Waylon a part of his family, and losing him would hurt Charlie more than he would admit.

I took a deep breath and summoned my courage. Charlie would be devastated; the least I could do was give him someone to lean on, if he'd accept it.

As I climbed out of Edward's Volvo, I wondered why there were so many police cars here. I didn't think there were this many officers in all of Forks.

It suddenly occurred to me that the text hadn't said how Waylon had died. I'd assumed it was natural causes. But, with this kind of police presence, I knew I'd assumed wrong.

Edward appeared beside my door, making me realize that I'd been staring at the spectacle too long. He opened the door and offered me his hand. For once, I didn't focus on his odd behavior; I just took his hand and let him assist me out of the car.

Once he released me, I nodded my thanks and searched the organized chaos for Charlie.

Charlie wasn't here, but Carlisle was. He was standing across the parking lot, looking in our direction.

I studied his face as he walked toward us. Most of the time a vampire could present any facial expression they wanted. Make you see them exactly as they wanted. But, if you knew where to look closely and were familiar enough with them, you could sometimes see the stress they tried so hard to hide.

Carlisle was trying very hard to hide his true feelings at this moment. He succeeded, with everyone but me. I knew what to look for. The corners of his lips were pinched together, the same tightness was present around his eyes, and his nose flared just slightly, all these things meant he was stressed.

As he stopped in front of me, he looked at Edward meaningfully. Glancing at Edward I got the impression that they were communicating with each other.

They held eye contact a moment before Edward nodded subtly. At that moment I knew something was going on. One didn't just nod for any reason; he was definitely listening to the Carlisle's thoughts.

As Carlisle turned to me, I intentionally spoke before he could. I didn't want to see him blatantly try to get rid of me. "Where is my dad?"

I'd assumed Carlisle would be the one to answer, but it was Edward who spoke up. "He's in the office."

I nodded, and then turned to Edward. "Thank you for your help tonight." He thought he'd saved my life, but he hadn't. He had saved their lives and saved me from having to kill them, but I was just as thankful.

I politely said my goodbyes and then made a bee-line for the police station. There were people milling about, seemingly with no destination in mind. Surely deaths were just as common here as they were everywhere else, but what caused this level of chaos?

I knew when I saw the pale blue uniforms that they were not members of the Forks Police force. Charlie must have called them in from neighboring counties. Something was not right.

I saw two of my father's deputies standing off to the side, waving to get my attention. I pretended I didn't see them. I doubted I was supposed to be here but I wasn't going home until I'd seen Charlie.

As I approached the door to the police station I noticed that the blinds were pulled down, hiding the interior of the room from view. It struck me as odd, the blinds were always up-always. Why would they close them now?

I got my answer the second I opened the door. Pictues were everywhere, they covered the walls, and some were even lain on the floor. Crime scene pictures I realized, too late. Waylon Forge's mangled corpse was gruesomely displayed in full color. I knew then, his death wasn't natural.

I froze, my mind blank. I should have been shocked to see Waylon torn appart. I should have been horrified, but I wasn't. I didn't feel any of the things I should feel when presented with such a sight, no repulsion, no anger, nothing.

Instead, I was eerily calm, cataloging his many injuries with scientific precision. The broken bones that jutted from his biceps were surprisingly clean, no bleeding or bruising surrounding the protrusions. He'd likely been dead when they occurred.

Satisfied with my conclusion, I moved on to the next injury, his wrists. Jagged and torn, they looked as if something had literally ripped into him. Having seen similar wounds before, I knew what had caused them.

The next pictures depicted a red, pulpy mass where his face should have been. The only thing that remained of his eyes was two dark, sunken holes. His chest had been... hollowed out. His ribs were gone, discarded around his corpse. This was common in cases where animals had feasted from the body, yet different. If an animal had done this, they would have chewed through, or crushed the bone. Here, his ribs had splintered, as if they had been snapped apart.

My eyes darted from picture to picture, soaking up the details that I didn't want to know. I didn't want to see, to remember, but I couldn't help myself. All the evidence was there, it was so obvious. If nothing else, the damage to his throat should have served as proof enough. This was the work of a vampire. I'd seen it before, on the victims James had left for us to find. It was exact!

My heart pounded, a cold sheen covering my face. The broken bones on his shoulders, those happened because something had gripped his arms too tightly as he was fed upon. The lack of blood and bruising meant he had been dead when his blood was drained. Taking one last look at the pictures, I knew the cause of death: Torture. That _thing_ had tortured Waylon until he died, then fed on his corpse.

I'd seen all this before. It wasn't anything new to me. The difference between then and now was that I knew this victim, this person. This was someone close to my family, close to my father, the one person I wanted to protect more than I wanted anyone else.

As I glanced from one picture to the next, I recognized something familiar, Waylon's watch. The damned thing looked exactly like mine. Even the scratches along the face they were the same.

I started shaking, shivering as if I was cold. Was that really my watch?

As I stepped forward, trying to get a closer look someone finally noticed me standing there. I didn't know who it was but they pushed be backwards out of the room, pulling the door closed behind them. Hands were on my face, brushing my hair back. I pulled away quickly, snapping myself back to reality. Anything to get his hands off me. I did not like to be touched by strangers.

Startled, I glanced up to see Charlie's second in command watching me worriedly. I'd met him once but couldn't remember his name. "Bella, are you alright?"

It occurred to me that, to an outsider, it would appear as if I'd lost my mind. Or was traumatized by what I'd seen. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just didn't expect to see...that." I lied quietly, trying to stop the shaking.

I don't think he knew how to respond to that. His expression shifted between dismay and panic until finally he sputtered, "I'll go get your dad, you wait right here." Then he was gone.

I took his absence as an opportunity to sort through my thoughts. My mind was in overdrive trying to think of everything at once, my head pounded with the effort.

Had that really been my watch? It wasn't like it was one of a kind or anything, and a lot of watches had scratches on them. But what were the odds that my father's best friend would own a watch exactly like mine? Admittedly, I had bought a male watch, but still. I'd bought that watch in Phoenix, for an astounding sum of fifty-five dollars. Would there be a store in Forks that even carried the same watch? Would anyone who lived in Forks actually pay _that _much for a watch? _Could _anyone in Forks afford to pay that much?

Was it simply a coincidence, or was I inadvertently responsible for bringing about the death of an innocent man?

I glanced around quickly and seeing that no one was watching, I casually walked for the door. I needed another look at that picture, I needed to be sure. That watch could tell me.

Before I could take more than a few steps, Charlie walked around the side of the building. He looked exactly as I'd imagined him, stoic and determined to hide his pain. I tried to offer a sympathetic smile as he reached me. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I know you two were friends."

He nodded but quickly changed the subject, "Bella, I want you to go home and stay there. Here take this with you." He handed me a large silver aerosol can. "It's riot control tear gas. I want you to keep it on you at all times."

He grabbed my elbow, trying to turn me around. I resisted. "Why did you give me this?" I asked. Did he think this was going to protect me from Waylon's killer?

Charlie winced before answering, "Bella, Waylon was killed by some kind of animal, and it happened right outside town. It's unusual for wild animals to stray into town but if the creature got close enough to... then it's possible he could come into town as well. This stuff is military grade, if you spray it on or around an animal it'll burn their eyes and make it difficult for it to breathe. I don't think we have to worry but still it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm going to be here most of the night. I need you to stay home where it's safe."

I noticed he skipped over part of his explanation but chose not to comment. I didn't even mention the part about him arming me with a weapon that I didn't think was even legal for a citizen to own. "Is there anything I can do? Visit with Waylon's family or something."

He sighed, "Bella, Waylon didn't have any family. I'm the closest friend he had. Everyone's asking me about funeral arrangements. I don't know how to answer them. I don't know what he wanted. Would he want to be cremated, or a burial? I didn't even know he left me in charge of his arrangements. Hell, I don't know anything, Bella. I'm so confused." As he spoke, he ran his fingers through his hair several times. He looked as if he'd reached his limit.

I very nearly cried for him. "It's okay Dad. I can handle the arrangements for you. It's too late now but I'll start first thing in the morning. You just get through tonight, okay? I'll handle everything else." I clenched my hands, digging my fingernails into my palms. I used the pain as a distraction, forcing the knot in my throat to subside.

I usually wasn't a sympathetic crier but it was different when it came to my family, Charlie especially. I knew my mom, and her ways, whatever was bothering her wouldn't only last until something distracted her, which didn't take long. She would cry over a breakup one day and sign up for therapeutic massage class the next. Nothing fazed her. Charlie on the other hand, was as steady as they came. Once he took to something that was it. He didn't change his mind, or move on.

"No, you can't do that, Bells. I'll handle it, just not right now."

I did cry then, one lone tear rolled down my cheek. I felt weak allowing anyone, even my father, to see me cry. "It's not any trouble, Dad. I've done it before. I can have everything arranged within a day or two."

He nodded slowly, "Okay, Bella. Thank you. I know he would appreciate it. I'll get you Mr. Anderson's number. He should have Waylon's insurance information."

I wasn't doing it for Waylon; I was doing it for Charlie. I didn't care about insurance money. I had plenty of it. I'd give Waylon the best, most dignified burial I could. "Do you know when you'll be home?"

But I knew the answer to that too; he wouldn't be, not tonight. "I don't know, Bells. Don't wait up."

I nodded to myself feeling awful for being glad he wasn't coming home tonight. Even knowing he would be safe in this crowd didn't lessen the feeling that I was being disloyal.

Charlie insisted that his deputy give me a ride home, forgetting the fact that I hated to ride in a squad car. I protested at first but, when I realized that it was Charlie's way of keeping me safe, I relented.

~TSM~

When I got home I threw a half-hearted 'Thank you' at the deputy and ran inside. Five minutes later I was pacing my bedroom floor trying to remember the watch in the picture. Had it really been mine? Or had it just been similar to mine, and I imagined the rest?

Waylon had been killed by a vampire, of that I was positive. But the watch was where I was having trouble. If that watch was mine it meant that, in all probability, James had killed Waylon to send a message to me.

If it wasn't my watch, then it could have been a different vampire. Forks already had seven vampires who lived here full time. I knew it hadn't been Edward or Carlisle, as their eyes were still either black or golden brown. But it still left five others who could have killed him.

_Dammit, this isn't helping! _It wasn't answering my questions, just going through the possibilities, again and again. There wasn't any way to be sure. I wouldn't ever know. Unless... unless I went to see for myself.

I knew where they would take the body. Forks only had one hospital and one funeral home. He had to be at one or the other. Considering the manner of death, I was betting on the hospital.

I could probably get inside. It wasn't as if Forks was known for its tight security. The question was, 'Should I?" Did I have the right to break into the morgue and violate Waylon's memory like that?

It took very little thinking to answer that question, No, I didn't. But I had to do it anyway. If James was here, I needed to know about it. I had to protect Charlie, nothing else mattered.

I all but ran to my closet and picked out the darkest clothes I owned, a pair of black pants, and a black hoodie. It seemed cliché to wear such things but there was no better camouflage for night. Black blended together at a distance. As long as I didn't get close to anyone, or get caught out in the open, no one would see me.

I quickly braided my hair and stuffed it under the hood. I made sure to grab my set of lock picks, a pair of black leather gloves, and my cell phone.

Once I was ready, I left through the back door. It was closer to the forest and completely hidden from anyone who might see me from the road.

I walked into the woods and then circled around until I could see pavement through the bushes. I intended to follow the roads until I got to Forks General. I wasn't familiar enough with Forks to travel _through _the woods. I considered using my telekinesis to fly but dismissed the idea just as quickly. There was too much activity around Forks right now to risk it, no matter how safe the darkness made it seem.

I followed the road north a few miles, cursing myself the entire way. Charlie would never forgive me if he knew what I was about to do. I was going to break into the morgue, rifle through a dead man's belongings, and possibly steal from said dead man.

I yearned to turn around, to go home and pretend I had never seen that damn watch. But I couldn't. I had to know one way or the other. The more information I had, the more effectively I could protect Charlie.

I wondered if this was James game, leaving my watch here in order to force me to do something he knew I would despise. Making me do something that goes against everything I believe, to a man my father loved, would be right up his alley. The bastard loved mind games.

Standing in the woods behind the hospital, I silently asked Waylon to forgive me, where ever he was.

A small building set beside the hospital served as the morgue. It was separate from the hospital but connected by a walkway enclosed with glass. At the far end was a loading bay, where a van would pull up and unload the body. The loading bay doors were secured by a chain wound through the door handles and secured by a padlock. It was my way in.

Charlie had taught me quite a few things he shouldn't have in the first few years I came to visit, when he was desperate to make sure I had a good time. Among them were how to swear correctly, and how to pick locks. I had kept it up over the years, just for fun of course. I'd never thought I'd actually need to use it.

I'd imagined that I would just use my telekinesis to break a lock if I needed too. I didn't have the luxery of doing that here. I couldn't leave any evidence behind me. It had to look as if nothing had happened.

Sighing, I tuned into my telekinetic mind, searching the area for movement. The morgue building was so still it was creepy. Stillness like that didn't exist in nature, it felt... empty.

I pulled my hood down covering as much of my face as I could before I left the shelter of the trees.

As I walked I monitored a fifty foot radius around the morgue just to be safe. It turned out to be over cautiousness as the only movement within that range came from inside the hospital and it never indicted that someone was coming towards me, so I ignored it.

When I reached the loading bay doors, I nearly rolled my eyes. The lock and chain were too old to provide any real security. They were at least as old as I was, if not older.

Sighing, I pulled on my gloves and got to work. It took exactly eight seconds for the tumblers to give and the lock to pop open. Once again Forks unwitting trust astounded me. In the city no one, and I mean no one, would ever trust their neighbors this way and for damned good reason. If you weren't careful in Phoenix, trust would get you knifed and dumped in an alley.

I unwound the chain, taking special care to keep the chain from swinging or connecting with itself. I didn't want to be discovered because the deaf girl had made too much noise.

I reached for the door, holding my breath as I pulled it open. This was the point of no return. I exhaled slowly and stepped inside.

It was just as cold and unfeeling on the inside as I'd thought. A long hallway stretched before me, ceramic tiles covering the walls and the floor. I could see several doors from where I stood, all were solid metal. I was used to Forks cold weather, but the cold in this place was different. It sank into my bones making me shiver.

Dark and stripped of its humanity, this place reeked of nothing but death. No color, no emotions, just a lifeless atmosphere that threatened to suffocate me.

Walking down the corridor, I focused on breathing slowly. Seven seconds in, five seconds out. It helped some, gave something to think about. After a few seconds my heart rate slowed but I didn't stop. I kept breathing and counting.

I cracked every door I came across, searching for the room that held Waylon. I managed to find a janitor's closet, and two old offices that were now used as storage rooms.

The last room I came to was medical horror at its best. The same color scheme was present here, but unlike the other rooms I came across, there was a metal exam table in the center of the room. It was encircled by small metal tables and a scale that I believe was used to weigh organs. The most disturbing part was the drain in the floor. I knew why that was there.

Once the bodies had been mutilated, cut open and tore apart, they would wash the mess left behind down that drain. The blood, fat, and human tissue that that they couldn't scrape up and dump back inside the body, was erased with that hole, like it had never happened. Like the people that came into this room had never existed.

To my left, imbedded in the wall, were six, small, metal doors. Waylon had to be in one of those.

As I got closer I saw a small piece of paper taped to the first drawer. The word 'Forge' had been written in tiny script.

I didn't give myself time to think, I opened the door with a flourish, uncaring about any noise it might have created.

He was there lying on the slab, covered by a bloody piece of plastic. Trying to keep my fingers from touching any part of him, I grabbed the lip of the slab and pulled slowly. It was agonizing but I couldn't stand the thought of doing it too fast or too hard and causing his body to slip off.

Carefully, I lifted the plastic to expose his wrist. There it was, my watch, I was sure of it now. The nylon band had a small melted dent, exactly like mine. I'd splattered hot grease over my hand a few years ago, creating that little blemish.

I whispered my apologies before I gently unclasped the watch and took it from his body. I stuffed it into my pocket before setting him to rights.

Once he was back where he belonged, I pulled the watch from my pocket. James would have left some kind of message, something that would taunt me.

There, on the bottom, was a... phone number, with the words _Call me -J_ above it. They had been etched into the metal somehow. I'd expected a message or a taunt, but not a phone number. What game was he playing?

I tried to imagine what he thought he was accomplishing by doing this. Other than direct contact, I was clueless. Still thinking, I shoved the watch back into my pocket and left as quickly as I could.

Once outside, I was careful to wrap the chain as it had been before I broke in. Though I doubted anyone would notice if it was different, but why take the chance?

It was a quick trip back to the house, or maybe it just seemed quick to me. I was so absorbed in my own thoughts, I wouldn't have noticed it if it had taken longer.

The first thing I did when I got home was write down the number on the watch. The second thing I did was to destroy it. I stood at my backdoor and used my telekinesis to tear it apart. I allowed the pieces to float in the air for a split second, then I crushed them with every bit of force I could muster.

When I was done nothing but tiny flakes of metal, glass, and even smaller nylon threads remained. With one last look, I flung them across the yard. I saw them shower down, sparkleing as they fell to the ground.

I sighed, I would have liked to keep it, as a reminder, but I couldn't risk it being found. If I had been thinking back at the morgue I would have erased the etching and put it back on the body. As it was, a piece of evidence was missing. That hadn't been a smart move on my part.

I would have to wait and see what happened in that regard, not that there was anything I could do about it anyway. If it was discovered missing, no one would ever think of me as a suspect. Maybe they would assume it was lost during transit.

I reached for the phone intending to text Phil about today's events, but stopped myself. I'm sure they would rush to my side, intending to protect me. But, in reality, they would only hinder my efforts. Mom was still too immature as a vampire to have the concentration necessary to help, and Phil was too wrapped up in her care to be of much use either. I was better off alone.

The decision made, I changed clothes and climbed into bed before I blocked my number and dialed James.

He answered on the first ring. "Isabella, I didn't think you'd call this soon. I'm impressed." I read his greeting, wondering if hearing the words would make them any less creepy.

I kept by voice calm as I replied. "I swear to God I'm going to kill you." I'd watch him burn if it killed me. I knew it would take nothing less to stop him from hunting me.

"Tsk, Tsk, Isabella. No need to be so violent. We could be great friends you and I. With your power and my skills, we could be unstoppable."

I nearly gagged. "Is that the point of all this. You want us to... What? Be a team? I didn't think vampires could be retarded, but you're rapidly changing my mind."

I knew it wasn't a good idea to antagonize him, I just couldn't care. If nothing else it would spur him into action. At this point I was beginning to worry that he would never get close enough to kill. "Oh, Sweetheart, my feelings are going to be wounded."

_Sweetheart? _"Aw, poor baby. You're just a total failure aren't you? You're failing as a vampire. You're failing as a hunter. And you're failing as a tracker. How embarrassing that must be for you. All those trophies you worked so hard for, all those predators you conquered, and you can't even kill one, little, human girl. I feel for you James, I really do."

"I love your fire, Isabella. You really are quite the prize, more valuable than any I've hunted before. A human, with so much power, so much strength, it's unheard of. I can't wait to see what you are as a vampire. Hm, the thought itself makes me hungry."

It was hard to interpret emotions from the words I saw, but I hoped this conversation wasn't going where I thought it was. "Oh, James, do you have a crush? I thought the plan was to kill me, not turn me."

"It was, Sweetheart, but that changed. Before I met you, I was getting bored. Nothing presented a challenge anymore, then I found you and now I have purpose. Just imagine it; nothing would be out of our reach. Even the Volturi would fall before us."

I gaped, was he serious? "So what, you think you're going to turn me into a vampire, and we'll suddenly be the best of friends. Do you think becoming a vampire would make me hate you any less? Do you think you would be able to control me as a vampire? You truly are insane." I stared at the tiny inverted asterisk that denoted laughter as it flashed across the screen. The bastard was actually laughing.

"No, Isabella. I think you'll realize exactly what we're meant to be to each other once you're turned. I think that your fragile human mind isn't capable of recognizing what I am to you. That will change."

Too stunned to argue, I asked the first question that came to mind. "But I thought Victoria was your mate?"

He laughed again. "Are we getting jealous? Don't worry, Victoria is simply useful to me, I allow her to think as she wishes. Once I have you, she won't matter anymore."

I laughed. "Is this the best you can come up with? You killed an innocent man, so we could have this conversation? I expected games, but this is pathetic. If you want me so bad, come and get me. Or are you scared?"

"No, I killed him because I wanted to hear your voice. And do not ever think I am afraid, Isabella." _Oh, did that hit a nerve? _"Although, I do have to admit the wolves are making it difficult but no matter, I will come for you when I'm ready. And don't worry about your father so much. I would never hurt someone who obviously means so much to you. Good bye, Love. I'll be seeing you soon."

I opened my mouth to reply when 'Disconnected' appeared on the screen. The bastard hung up on me! I gritted my teeth and dropped the phone.

What was going on? Was this a mind game? If so it was the worst I'd ever seen. Or was he serious? I'd known my powers might be coveted if they were revealed to the vampire world, but I'd thought the Volturi would be the only threat. I could see James wanting my power but not at the price of my head. He had to be lying.

Either way, the response was the same. I'd kill him or die trying. As angry as I was about Waylon's murder, I couldn't allow it to change my decisions. I couldn't afford to get stupid.

My main problem now was that he was also targeting the people close to my family, would he go after the people closest to me next?

That meant Jake was in danger, I would have to warn him. He needed to leave, go somewhere else, a city, Seattle maybe.

No, Seattle was too close. Chicago or New York. Those would work; he'd need to stay with crowds, especially at night. It would be easy to get him there; the hard part would be convincing him to go. He'd never believe me without proof. I was willing to show him my telekinesis if to make him believe. I thought about calling him right then, but I knew I'd need to explain in person. What I was going to tell him would be hard enough to believe with proof; a phone call would only result in hysterical laughter and possibly a psychiatric evaluation.

For hours I lay there thinking about what I was going to do, how I was going to handle things. What I was going to say to Jake. What I was going to do about Waylon's arrangements. How I was going to protect Charlie. Because, no matter what James said, everyone I knew was in danger.

It was early morning before I remembered what James had said about wolves. _The wolves were making it difficult. _That struck me as absurd. A wolf making anything difficult for a vampire was impossible. Why had he said that? It wasn't like I was ignorant about vampires, and James knew that. What was he talking about? Was he really insane?

I didn't move from my bed until well after the sun came up and it was time to start making plans for Waylon's burial. It didn't take long to dig up the phonebook and start calling. Somehow, I just knew today was going to be a long day.


	12. Chapter 12

Authors Note

Warning: Some minor swearing!

To the idiots who keep sending me PM's and crap flaming me for not updating often enough:

* * *

Dear Buttfaces,

I truly am sorry, for having a life that does not revolve around pleasing a bunch of people I don't even know.

I am sorry that we had to take my mom to the hospital again and I didn't have time to please the ignorant jerks who think updating is more important than my FAMILY!

I'm sorry that I am an adult, that has actual responsibilities that do not allow me to sit in front of the computer all day and indulge my hobby. Writing is exactly that for me: A hobby. It is not something I have the luxery of doing every day.

I am sorry your life is so lacking that you have nothing better to do than troll a fanfiction site and pick on people who do not meet your expectations. I'm sorry that a simple story means so much to you, that you don't have anything else to devote your time to. (May I suggest getting a pet?)

I'm sorry that there are so many of you and I'm sorry that you chose me to pick on.

To conclude: I have a real life and I will not abandon it for you. I will write in my own time and nothing you have to say will change that. If anything, these stupid messages only delay the next chapter. The time I spent writing this little note could have been put towards my next chapter.

If you do not like waiting so long for my next chapter, then take me off your alert list (Assuming I was there to begin with.) and do not read my story. There are plenty of decent readers, who will not harrass me. I do not need you to drive up my 'hits', or your reviews. I do enjoy getting reviews, but I do not need them. They are not why I write, losing you as a reader will not hurt me in the least, so stop threatening me with it. I don't care, by all means, never contact me again. Please? 

* * *

To the asshole who sent me this:

"diugusting u rite this 4 yrs wats so hard use words 2 tell the story simple if u cant just quit n b dun wit it. h8 it anyway bad gramer ppl like u make me so mad hope u get herpeas"

Please allow me to offer a few helpful suggestions. Capatilazation, punctuation, and spelling. They're all important!

Dis...Gus...Ting. See how I did that? I sounded out the word. It helps get the spelling right.

Words aren't always spelled like they sound. Herpes, for example. You got the first half right, but 'peas' is a food.

Using numbers as words? Where do I start with that one? Oh, yeah. You're a moron. I do not care for your two cents worth. Again, see how I done that? I spelled the words, like a human being and not coked up monkey.

'.' this is a period, it ends a sentence. '?' this is a question mark, it goes at the end of a sentence that asks a question. It's very simple. See?

Abbrebeations like "ppl" are for emergency situations only. Say you intend to go to a costume party wearing nothing but your grandmothers underwear. Only, you get there and discover you're the only one wearing a costume. You text someone an 'sos' message for help. That is an emergency, therefore abbrevations are acceptable.

Also, if you wish to critique someone elses writing ability, you would have more credibility if you displayed more than a modicum of intillegence. As it is, I'm considering the possibility that you may be the missing link.

* * *

This is to my readers, the real ones who didn't flame me for no reason:

This message was not meant for anyone but the dipwads who have been sending me messages for awhile now and I got frustrated. Alone the messages are not enough to upset me, I simply deleted them and went on with my life.

Add together months of recieving reprimands and chastizement and it tends to get extremely annoying. I do not know if this AN will stop anyone from flaming me in the future, (I somehow doubt it will.) but venting makes me feel better. Besides, I hope my flamers read it.

Don't worry, I am not abandoning this story. I will finish it, eventually. I have some readers who have been with me since I posted the first chapter, I will do my best not to dissappoint them. I am writing, and working very hard to make each chapter better and more exciting than the last.

Sincerely,  
Chronic Chaos x2 


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